Dear future incarnation,
If you ever have kids, don’t make them believe the Santa Claus lie.
That’s not the kind of magic they’re truly looking for. When they eventually find out, it won’t feel like a harmless tradition or a prank – it will feel like a deep betrayal you’ve committed for years. That’s how I felt. And trust me, that hurt far more than any fleeting sense of wonder my parents thought they gave me.
Bro, children live in wonder and magic every single day. To them, a simple cardboard box can become a car, a ship, a shop, or even a castle. They see endless possibilities where adults see limitations. They don’t need the Santa Claus lie to believe in miracles – they already do.
Children don’t need a fabricated figure to teach them about wonder. What they need is an adult who remembers how to see the world with purity and openness.
So, instead of selling them a lie, show up – honestly and directly. Be the example of what it looks like to believe, to imagine, to embrace what can only be seen with the heart.
Children don’t need the polished myth of Santa. They need the real, imperfect you—flesh and blood, but trustworthy.