Probably everyone who reads this will already know the story, if not, you can read a recounting of my recollections of my Dad as Santa Claus hyperlinked here.
Sadly, this is one of the few images I have of him as Santa, even though those memories are among my most powerful of him. But one thing I inherited from him and from my experience of living with Santa, was a belief that generous gift giving is a worthy ritual for these winter holidays.
I get the disgust some feel at excessive gifting, especially when they feel obligated to spend more than they can afford or to give to folks they don’t really care about. But for me, discovering someone’s heart’s desire, and then gifting it to them, especially if they are your child, is not only a powerful message of love, but also a message that the world is a bountiful place, that dreams can come true: a minor miracle well within most parents’ grasp. The real magic of Ned as Santa wasn’t really about his and Ira’s generosity, however grand it may have been, it was about caring to know a child’s heart, and meeting it there on its own ground.
I want my kids to believe the universe is lavish and plentiful; I want them to trust that I care about what they want, not just what I want for them. I think we all want to feel this way about those we are most intimate with.
So on this fifth Holly Day, I hope you were generous and that your loved ones were generous with you. Gifts are not just consumerist commodification, they are acts of love, and the main reason why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.
HOLLY DAYS 