Dan Moore enjoyed your story! We didn’t do the Santa myth, but referred to Santa as a character representing the spirit of Christmas. Santa stories represent the fun of whimsy, of making up stories, all while understanding that the spirit of giving was just like the life we have. We are fortunate to be living, breathing in this world and why not spread the cheerful spirit. Presents did not and do not represent being good or bad, but another way of sharing in the joy of life. The older I get, the less I am interested in Christmas as a giftee. I still like it as a gifter. Finding joy is most important in seeing it comes into the eyes of others. Not that I would turn down a gift, no siree, but it’s not the same as when I was younger. I suppose it’s because the best gifts are not for sale or manufactured, but the natural, organic expressions of love. I want my daughter, who is now 43, to let me know what she would like to have, but I don’t get her everything. That’s because 1. I couldn’t afford it and 2. there is something to be said for figuring out how to get things you want on your own. That’s one of the most important things my parents taught us is that we needed to learn to develop our skills so we could be able to get what we wanted in life. That’s a whole other story and maybe I will write it.