Inspired by the ageless editorial that appeared in 1897 in the New York Sun answering a little girl’s query about the existence of Santa Claus, I originally wrote this in 2007 for Long Island’s Neighbor Newspapers.
It seems like Santa Claus is everywhere these days. But there’s only one real Santa. To prove it, here’s an interview I recently had with him:
ME: Tell me. Does it bother you that so many people out there think you’re a fake?
SC: No, not at all. I’ve done this for so long now that I’m kind of immune to that. After all, what really matters is what’s in the hearts and minds of those who really know that I do exist. Those who spend all their time and energy in trying to turn a positive into a negative are big-time losers, I think. Maybe they’re trying to make themselves feel better or superior by making others feel worse. I feel sorry for those people. They need to feel better about themselves. Once they do, they’ll feel better about everyone else and won’t have the need to cause problems all the time.
ME: So, what would you tell those who try and put you down all the time?
SC: Believing in something is a good thing.
ME: Good advice. What is it that drives you every year to distribute gifts?
SC: Silly, my reindeer. Ho-ho-ho. Sorry, just a joke. Actually, I love what I do. To see all the little ones wake up on Christmas morning and unwrap their presents or to stay up the night before just to take a peek at me is very special. Think about it. Who in this world hasn’t shared that special feeling you get when you open a gift from someone you love. Besides, I get to taste all the goodies they leave out for me. That’s why I look like this. Ho-ho-ho.
ME: But hasn’t this all gotten out of hand? The true meaning of Christmas is kind of lost with all the commercial stuff going on.
SC: Sad, but yes. I see your point. You know, a few short centuries ago, things were a whole lot simpler. But you know, when you get right down to it and look into the souls of people who want to make someone else happy, nothing much has changed. People, no matter who they are, want to feel good this time of year and want to make others feel good as well. But what people fail to realize in the hubbub of the moment is that there are those in the world who do not share in the blanket of holiday comfort. The hungry, the poor, the infirmed, the selfish and the soldier in a faraway and strange land. We should all stop and at least think about them. Slow down and take an hour – just an hour .. It would be nice, I think.
ME: What’s the largest gift you ever delivered?
SC: Ho, boy. That’s a good one. Let’s see. I once delivered a horse to a little girl. That was tricky. But the best gift I ever delivered was a whatchamacallit…you know, the thing that you use to hold things together.
ME: Glue?
SC: No, heavens, no. A rubber band. That’s it. Yes, a rubber band!
ME: That’s the best gift you ever delivered?
SC: Oh, yes. Quite. A very special rubber band. You see, this little boy loved a book he read so much that the pages kept falling all over the place. Sometimes, he would spend hours just looking for the missing page.
ME: Why couldn’t he just buy another one?
SC: Oh, no, this book was one of a kind, irreplaceable. So you see, he would get very upset even if a word was missing. The rubber band solved that.
ME: Santa, you’re pulling my leg. That was the best gift you ever delivered?
SC: Uh huh, yes. Oh, it had not been invented yet, you know. So it was a big deal, this rubber band.
ME: Who was the little boy?
SC: Oh, my. Now you’re really challenging me. I think his name was Abe. Abe Lincoln. Yes, that’s it. Quite a boy.
ME: Wow. So he was happy just to get one rubber band?
SC: Oh, yes. You see, it’s not how much I deliver. It’s what you do with the gifts you get in life. Sometimes, the very simple ones have a tremendous impact on not only you, but everyone else you know. If you have a special gift, share it. Make it work all year round. And you know, even when you’re gone, the gift will get passed around, touching lives for generations to come.