So as my kids get older now, I am starting to feel the guilt of having to tell them that Santa does not actually come Christmas eve. The thing is...while I don't want to lie to them, telling them the "truth" is going to be a lie too. Basically, I believe in Santa--or at least--that he is "alive" in us, someone who lived and may yet live. He certainly has an affect on our culture and society, and he is at the root of our holiday lore.
But to them it's just like Jesus. Every night the kids ask me questions about Jesus--how old is He? What does He look like? How does He live in my heart? What does that even mean? I answer from what I know, but in some ways I can say all the same things about Santa Clause. He once lived and showed us how to live. He is not here anymore, but we want to do what he does and have the right spirit of giving. etcetcetc.
How can I tell them NOT to believe in invisible Santa, but at the same time tell them to believe in invisible Jesus?
All I can say is there is no "wizard" behind the curtain for Jesus, but with Santa... you and Ella are that wizard. No way to really tell the kids that in a way that for sure makes sense to them right now, but that's where the truth lies. "Santa is your parents wanting to put a smile on your face, so we pretended for fun... like Go Bots! But Jesus is real, mom and dad don't have to pretend to make that real for you..."
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