Thank you primalbeet, A Girl With No Name, Harriet C., Gray and many others for tuning into my live video! It didn’t go anything like I’d intended, which is par for the course — so I was well prepared. 😉 And how funny is that headline Substack generated? 🙃 FIRST LIVE WENT SO WRONG 😂
Y’all, I did so much research before I did this — I read every article Substack has on Live Streams, Podcasts, and Recording Videos. And I knew exactly what and how I wanted this thing to go! It was going to be a Subscriber Only Q&A — just something I wanted to try in an intimate setting with my readers. It wasn’t designed to gain new subscribers. At least not yet, it was really just a trial run with you all.
But after it didn’t allow comments, I stopped and started a new video with “everyone” — which made absolutely no difference🙃whatsoever. So, I’m glad I’d thought of this scenario before hand and was prepared! Whoop🙌 It just goes to show that no matter how much you prepare, things can always go sideways. This is where the Stoic concept of, Premeditatio Malorum or “Premeditation of Evils”comes into play. Because the unexpected blow lands the heaviest.
“What is quite unlooked for is more crushing in its effect, and unexpectedness adds to the weight of a disaster. This is a reason for ensuring that nothing ever takes us by surprise. We should project our thoughts ahead of us at every turn and have in mind every possible eventuality instead of only the usual course of events…
Rehearse them in your mind: exile, torture, war, shipwreck. All the terms of our human lot should be before our eyes.”— Seneca
A younger me might have freaked out when things went sideways, but I was ready. I know me — so I know that for me there’s a huge learning curve in between the first and second go at something. I’ll learn from this, and the next time it’ll much better.
Who knows, I might not even ah/um y’all to death! Boy am I going to be in big trouble with my Sweetheart when she sees me shaking the screen with my jittery leg🫢
I think I’ll do this again — not too often, maybe once a month or so. First I’ll have to do a little troubleshooting to figure out why the comments were for paid subscribers only — I certainly didn’t have it set that way. And btw — if it’s a Q&A I’ll just give y’all a heads up in the newsletter before, I don’t anticipate emailing Lives or Live announcements in the future.
Alright, now for this week’s scheduled essay!
Is Santa Real?
We have all faced this question before. And to those of us who are parents, it poses quite the dilemma — to lie, or not to lie. At least, I reckon those of us who were raised in a Christian or Consumer based culture. I imagine that other cultures or religious backgrounds are able to navigate the question quite easily.
But for us, that question is a tough one! When do we tell them that Santa’s not real?
After discussing this with my Sweetheart, we agreed that our girls were around the age of twelve when they found out. And I must admit, Santa took part of the magic of Christmas morning with him — it just wasn’t ever quite the same again, you know?
When did you break the news to your little ones?
I found out at school — probably at about the same age. So did my Sweetheart. But let me tell ya, it was quite the feat for us to keep the secret from the girls that long. And I can only imagine how tough it is on parents these days! Kids now have access to many more influences than we, or my girls did. Just this past weekend at Tink’s first birthday party, I heard one of the moms saying that her kid, a 6yo, was questioning her about Santa. “He’s seen it on his phone.” 🙄Smdh😒
Hence, why we’re here — I began thinking 🤔 how would I handle this question today?
First let me warn you, I am an absolute-without-a-doubt believer in Santa Claus. Period. I’ve seen him. There, I said it. You don’t have to believe me, no one else does, but it’s the truth. I don’t know how old I was, but it is one of the most vivid memories I have…
Let’s say I was eight, because doesn’t that sound about right to you? I don’t remember what present I got that year, but I remember seeing Santa doing his thing like it was just last night.
When I close my eyes — I can still see him in his sleigh, reindeer and all, swooping over the tall pines across the road from my bedroom window. Ho Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!
So for me, Santa has always been real. I’ve even been to see his house and workshop in North Pole, Alaska. And herein lies my answer! Just tell the kids the truth. Because just like me, they still believe in magic✨ When my grandchildren ask their Peapaw if Santa is real, I’m going to say this-
Santa is magic, and magic depends on imagination — without imagination, magic isn’t possible. So as long as you can imagine that Santa is real, he will be real to you.
And the same goes for other children — if they stop imagining in Santa Claus, then to them Santa isn’t real. But that doesn’t mean that Santa isn’t real to you — only you can decide for yourself what you believe.
“Do you believe in Santa, Peapaw?”
Yes baby, I do. 🧑🎄 Santa Claus will always be real to me✨
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it and clicking that ❤ button, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply—I want to hear from you too! Do you believe in Santa?
I am wishing all of you a Happy Christmas, or whichever Holiday you may be celebrating with your loved ones this season❤
Is it Manifestation?
Is it Manifestation, or is it Synchronicity? I was once all in on manifestation, but now I’m not quite so sure. I know that everything is connected. Todo el asunto. So it made a lot of sense. I even got a huge confirmation, I was paid to make a trip I’d been dreaming of!
