When I picked up Son from preschool Lunch Bunch, he pulled me aside and excitedly said,

“Mom, guess what happened today?”

“What?” I asked.

“Well, we were eating lunch and Miss Jill was getting coffee and we heard bells. And Miss Sherry said, ‘Listen, what’s that?’ And she said, “It’s Santa watching us.”

He had a huge smile on his face and felt very, very special that Santa had paid a special preschool drive by of his school.

I was touched and moved by his joy and pure belief in the event. And it sealed for me the power of believing in Santa Claus for young children.

I have to admit it’s felt awkward for me to summon lies each Christmas in telling the tale of Santa Claus. It goes against my year long effort of gentle explanations and truth telling to my kids. My experience is just a trickle down of a larger trend in our society. Businesses strive for transparency and reality television has created a way “too much information” culture.

It’s a far cry from my parents’ generation when less was more when it came to filling in the kids on most things. “We’ll see” was the common response to many requests and you didn’t get an explanation.

So, hearing Son’s ready, sweet willingness to believe such an obvious Santa ruse sealed my belief as well. My belief in children’s ability and need for the story with a good hero. For a story of magic and mystery.

Kind of like that other Christmas story. You know – the one about the baby who comes to save the world. And while my kids seem pretty moved by the events that night in Bethlehem and three kings who brought gifts, they kinda like the guy who brings them gifts. And, I’m all for it.