After receiving an email last night from a reader who was getting flack on her page for posting pictures of her Elf on the Shelf – she expressed how for her kids, belief in magical occurrences was wondrous and she couldn’t understand why people would knock that on her page and hadn’t I written about belief before because she wanted to share what I wrote with her friends – I have come to a conclusion. I won’t make fun of that stuff anymore as whatever you do to increase your kids’ joy is just fine by me. If that’s your gig, who am I to knock it. To each his own, right? I mean, I dance around in my undies and sing really bad disco to increase my kids joy, so who am I to judge?
What I will say is belief is a tough one. Belief in God, belief in Santa or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy seems easier sometimes than belief in real live human beings. Sometimes what we can’t see and touch seems more tangible than the inevitable let down by our real life selves.
I struggled for a long time with what I believe. I’m at a place today where I feel comfortable and accept what I believe and it’s perfect just as it is. And frankly, it’s none of anybody’s business but mine. Just as what you believe is nobody’s business but yours. Cool? Cool.
Belief is elusive and can be fleeting and we can bend it to cater to our needs. We can pick and choose what we believe. If we don’t like it much, we can adapt to new beliefs and make it fit our life at that moment. Some people never waver in their belief and are steadfast their entire lives. Others are always on a quest, always searching always growing always evolving. Some don’t believe at all.
Being a new mom, I’ve got the Santa question to deal with. It’s not really a question at all. He’s Santa. He’s a big soft tender hearted jolly dude. I won’t get into the fact that WE ARE ALL LYING TO OUR KIDS because dammit, it’s just what we do. I believed and my husband believed and our children will hopefully believe. Whatever we can do to bring magic into their lives we will do as we know that later on in their lives, the magic dissipates a bit. The harshness of real life creeps in. If they’re really lucky, they keep some of it. If I can have any kind of say in that, they will. I’ve come around to believe again that this world is a magical place, if we are just open to the wonder and not cynical enough to dismiss it all.
These babies of mine can believe whatever they choose to believe as they grow and question and learn and dismiss and believe some more. What I’m most concerened with right now is their belief in their Mommy. In their family and security. That’s my goal every day.
I’ve had the pleasure of watching my peanut Nephews and Nieces believe and question and believe some more. Now it’s my chance with my own kids and I’m just giddy. The questioning won’t start for a while, so for now, we let them be little. And we receive the magical gift of believing once again through them. So yes, all of you posting your Elves on your Shelves, I won’t comment or say a word. I want the magic too. I want to believe.
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Too Sober For This 