IMPOSTERS!! ALL OF THEM!!

As a child, none of us kids were taught (or allowed) to believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, etc.  My dad's philosophy was....."...if we lie to our children about such things as these....how can they ever trust that we've not lied to them about other, more important things?"  Dad had a point, and as philosophies go....this one was quite admirable. 

When I became an adult, this subject came up one day.  Dad, then,  freely admitted, that he & mom struggled so hard  to buy gifts for four kids at Christmas, that there was NO WAY, he wanted some ficticious, fat man in a red suit to get the credit for whatever was under the tree!!  Made sense.  He proceeded also to explain that, it was much easier to explain to his children that 'mom & dad just couldn't afford it this year'.....than to try explain to them why Santa didn't bring them their heart's desires!  As an adult, he could also NOW tell me that there were times when my "heart's desire" was NOT something either of my parents approved of, or thought appropriate for me. 

That would explain why I never got those white "Go-Go" boots!  I was really, really, really disappointed!!!!! Those boots were all the rage in 1966.  Most all the other girls in my school HAD them!! ( I was always the 'oddball'.)   I think if those boots had been called ANYTHING ELSE....my parents might would have bought me a pair!  Or, maybe it was just one of those things they simply could not afford; afterall, I had plenty of shoes already.....these would've been something merely frivolous. BUT, OH, HOW I WANTED THEM!!!

That same year, there was a really, really popular song out on the radio called "Last Date".  I loved that song.  It was on the top of my Christmas list....right after Go-Go boots.  My parents bought me that record, (it was a "45") and on Christmas morning, once the family had gathered in the living room to open gifts, that song started playing!!!!!!!  Mom had sneaked it onto the turn-table & set the needle on the record while I was distracted.  I was so shocked, I think I started to cry!  I completely forgot about those Go-Go boots (and I'm sure Mom & Dad were relieved!!)  I think I probably drove the whole family crazy with that song.  I played it over, and over, and over, and over......and back then, earphones were a luxury item that we didn't own!!!

Back to my point.......I thought Mom & Dad's philosophy was sound.  So much so, that I never really allowed my kids to "believe" in these mythical characters.  Oh, we all "played our part".....whether it was Santa, or the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny....they "pretended" to believe it was real, and I pretended this fictional character really existed......but my kids always knew it was Mom behind it all.  They played right along with me.  Still...we all have a lot of good memories.

Then comes my daughter!!  Now, fully grownup, and with four kids of her own.  Her kids BELIEVE!!  She promotes this!!!  I am amazed at her ingenious creativity when playing the role of 'Santa' or the 'Easter Bunny'!!  And....I'm somewhat jealous.  How much more fun could I have had with my own kids, if THEY had believed???

But then, I know there comes a time when the kids finally figure it out (or their little friends at school tell them) ....that there IS no Santa; no Easter Bunny; no Tooth Fairy.............then how do they feel????

Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things?? 
Do they "forgive" the lie?? 
How did YOU feel when you learned the truth?