Yes, Virginia, there is...

I am sure you all know that famous line about Santa Claus. My sister-in-law and her sister have blogged recently about what to tell their children about believing in Santa Claus. So this got me thinking. I thought I might tackle the question as well.

I don't remember the exact Christmas that I stopped believing in Santa Claus and flying reindeer and the Easter Bunny. But, what I do remember is what it felt like to wake up on Christmas morning and realize that "Santa" had come. I mean all the evidnce was there, cookies eaten, milk drunk, gifts left, stockings full. He was real right? Well as I got older (and snoopier) I realized that my parents were the gift givers and I would be a liar if I said that wasn't a bit of a buzz wrecker for me.

But, there is still this one memory that I have, that I just can't help but wonder about... We lived in Indiana until I was 8 and we had many a white Christmas. On this one particular year I remember my brother and I looking out his window very early Christmas morning and seeing reindeer prints on the roof over the garage. Mom told us that Santa had left his reindeer up there while he delivered our gifts. I kept thinking about this today after my sister-in-law's post, so I called my mom. She also remembers the prints. I asked if my dad had gone up there and did it and she informed that no-no one put them up there. She said that she still has no idea how those "prints" got up there but she said she just thought it was one of those Christmas miracles. Something that can't be explained. I said bye to her as we laughed about something else and hung up. But I sat there at my desk and thought about it. How amazing. A Christmas Miracle. Something you can't explain. And then I thought, why would want to? It is a perfect Christmas Memory without an explaination needed. I am 37 1/2 now (and was probably 4or 5 then) so it obviously made an impression.

And that is when I got my Christmas Spirit. Yep, on November 30th at about 2:45 p.m. Right here at work, with tears and a smile and everything. Wow...

So, where did I put all my Christmas decorations...