Does it ever feel like Christmas to you? The past several years, it has felt like it has snuck up on me, and this year is no exception. Although, I must admit, I feel like it's snuck up on me more than ever. I do realize that Christmas isn't here YET, but, as of this writing, it is November 6, 2009, and it is Christmas season; it has started and the madness will begin momentarily. I have often wondered why I don't feel like Christmas is here, and the best conclusion is that it has maybe lost some of it's glamour that it once held for me when I was younger. Plus, I'd like for it to be cold, with snow, and living in the south (North Carolina to be exact), doesn't seem to want to warrant snow; at least not until January or February and by that point, I have already received what presents I wanted, and had some good ol' "Christmas Cheer".

Either way, it just makes me sad. Christmas is such a wonderful time as it is, for me at least, and when it has been lost, it makes me wonder where has it gone? It's like it wrapped itself inside a little box and shipped itself off somewhere, never to come back; maybe it is at the North Pole. That would be something, wouldn't it? I wonder, is it because all of our wonderful stores have decided to put decorations up during the month of October (if not earlier than that) and try to make you buy things already. Heck, I keep thinking that it IS October. It's November 6, right now, and I still feel like I am a month behind. Perhaps that is my problem; I'm a month behind once the holiday's hit.

Perhaps another reason, that just occur ed to me, it is because I don't go to a private school anymore. When I used to live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, my parents put my brother and I into private schools, since they didn't like the public schools; can't blame them for that. Being that it is a private shcool, you can bet your bottom dollar that we would go to Chapel, twice a week. Tuesday were reserved for the elementary school, Wednesday was for the entire school (with the exception of the pre-school's and Kindergartners) and Thursday's for the middle school. Because of that, we would obviously keep track of all of the religous holiday's and what they meant, etc., etc. Christmas was no exception. We'd light the candles, our pastor gal would teach us the meaning of the candles and what they meant and then we would go our merry way down the path of Jesus. To have that frame of referance was a good thing, especially since Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and that is why we, a good portion of Christians at least, celebrate Christmas. There are the gifts, of course, but that is the original purpose.

Does Christmas have any meaning to you, the reader reading this? I am not a practicing Christian anymore, since moving back to North Carolina (about 8 years ago), I have probably stepped into a church a total of 4 times, maybe one or two other times, but that is about it. I have nothing against Christianity, just haven't felt the need to go to church. But I digress in what I was originally saying. Perhaps had I stayed in the church I would still retain the feel.

I realize that there are some readers out there who do not believe in Christmas for one reason or another; be it for faith, too commercialized, or other different reasons. But why don't YOU feel like it is Christmas? Why? Or do you still retain the Christmas spirit? I think a lot of people have lost that special feeling that many people get when Christmas time comes; maybe because of working too much (to save for Christmas, maybe?), or something.

It's just hit me; what I need to do is read, "Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus". I remember having to perform this during my Christmas recital at school one year. I had fun reciting my paragraph; I believe, if I remember correctly, that I chose the first paragraph, that the editor wrote to Virginia. It should be something that we should all read to kids who may doubt the existence of Santa Claus, and perhaps the entire, original, meaning of Christmas. I'd like to include the entire piece as my closing. I hope it has a special meaning to as it does to me:

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus?Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!