The Magic of Christmas? Your Choice.

My granddaughter recently asked her mom the existential question. Real or not? Is the whole story about chimneys, worker-bee elves and flying sleds a sham, or not.

Is my letter actually delivered or not? My daughter took a deep breath wondering if this was the right time to put a pin in the proverbial balloon or not. Her daughter had been hinting at skepticism for a while now. Was this the time for candor or not?

When our kids were young, December was full of the enchantment of vivid imagination. In the nights leading up to Christmas, just as we tucked our kids into bed, my husband was certain he saw an illuminated sleigh with reindeer leading the charge through the night sky.

“Get under the covers! Pretend you’re asleep,” he’d yell as he ran from bedroom to bedroom following the twinkle in the sky. Our kids would cover their heads and stifle vivacious giggles. “I SEE HIM,” my husband yelled excitedly as our kids couldn’t help but hop up and sprint to see for themselves.

I had to stand clear of the heavy and very bubbly traffic pattern. In tandem, all four of our kids would run from window to window in search for tangible proof of what their hearts believed to be true. Every time, it seemed, they’d just missed the sleigh entourage disappear over the neighbor’s roof.

Disappointment didn’t last long. The enchantment of possibility lingered into their dreams. Everyone had a different theory of where the sleigh went. The good news was we were certain there would be more practice runs and don’t worry, Dad would be on the lookout.

It’s been many years since that sleigh was seen flying over our house. Eventually, it seems, we all are awakened to reality where magic and innocence are replaced by struggle and fortitude.

Big life may very well include roadblocks to magical thinking. It’s like the further you get from seeing magic in the night sky, the darker such possibilities become. The cynic might say Christmas magic is just not real. And I say, herein lies the choice.

After their conversation, my daughter called me with a heavy heart. Did the enchanting wonder of the Christmas season disintegrate like melting snowflakes for her daughter? Was this truth going to crush all future quests to search the night skies?

I reminded my daughter of the timeless nature of Christmas magic. I also reminded her of how she embodies the great ability to choose all things festive and wonder filled. During this season (and all the time, really), my daughter embodies goodness, joy, and loveliness.

She is magical in her quest to find ways to make a difference through generosity and good will. Her sparkle lights up every room, made even brighter by her collection of holiday earrings which scream F-U-N. While fully entrenched in life’s reality, my daughter chooses to keep looking up in search for the awe and marvel that await us if we remain open.

And if you were to ask my daughter about what is real, she would stand by her belief in Christmas magic, hands down. In my daughter’s world, there is no humbug.

My beautiful granddaughter has begun a new journey for herself. She, too, is now part of the arena of Christmas choice. For her, sitting on a red velvet adorned lap might never be the same.

Questions about who really eats the iced cookies left on the plate might arise. But if there’s ever an example of how to choose good will and an openness to the possibility of Christmas miracles, my granddaughter has the perfect mentor.

My guess is her mom will always choose to search the skies every Christmas season.