We Believe

We're walking the tightrope this year between trust, truth and tradition. On the way home from the fancy Santa Breakfast at the downtown Sheraton Mimi asked bluntly: Is Santa Real? No room for equivocation.

Mark and I just can't bring ourselves to answer such a direct question with a blatant lie but we can't say NO either. Some people in the adoption community feel adoptive parents should be extra careful with any form of deception with our kids. That somehow these little lies will erode trust in us a parents. That if we lie about Santa our kids will wonder what else we are capable of lying about. That our girls must already accept many unknowns about their first 11 months, so limiting other mysteries in life, it could be argued, is a good thing. Plus, our daughters had to learn to trust us as parents and jeopardizing the faith they ultimately placed in us is not a thing to be taken lightly. On the other hand, Santa is a belief widely held in our culture and I definitely want my daughters to feel this country is their home (because it is!) and its traditions belong to them (because they do!).

And then there is my love of the whole Santa concept. It fits with our faith and the magic and miracles we believe are performed by Saints. I love the story of St. Nicholas giving gifts to children. I love the idea of believing in something intangible. I love the excitement of believing that miracles can happen to each and every one of us, and if that miracle involves an American Girl Doll under the tree on December 25th, so be it. We don't all need to be cured from leprosy. And if mom and dad had a hand in the miracle, does it diminish the amazement children feel when they see one of their dreams come true? I know I'm rambling. It's because I haven't really sorted it all out for myself yet.

Back to Mimi's question...
So after a pause long enough to consider all of the above and for me to realize Mark wasn't going to open his mouth to save his life, I stammered out a version of the truth. St. Nick was a real person. He died and lives in heaven. His spirit lives on here on earth. The Santas we see are his helpers.

From this, Mimi seems to have inferred that the helpers are elf-like beings who have some supernatural powers. She hasn't quite worked out who that guy at the North Pole is yet. She also is mulling over the whole flying around in a sleigh and popping down chimneys thing. However, she hasn't asked us any more questions. I'm thinking this means that at this point she doesn't want to go too deep. It's risky, for sure. After all, those gifts must come from somewhere! Julia is in the same situation. She listens to it all without a single question, comment or interjection. Not a peep. My girls know how to hedge their bets!

Either way, for now you can count Julia and Mimi among the professed believers. And for the record, Mark and I have been all along.