It’s no secret that I write my blogs with a cause in mind. I hope to stimulate thought about issues rarely discussed.  The research I do pries my eyes open so I can see the world more clearly.

Last week I wrote about the moment my son discovered Jolly St. Nicolas didn’t arrive with a bag of toys on a sleigh led by Rudolf. I received a thoughtful response you might enjoy.

“I want to thank you for your excellent work in maintaining your blog and sharing your wisdom. I always look forward to seeing your art and well-researched essays promoting the wonder of discovery.

“Regarding Santa, I’d like to share my discovery experience. At the time my wiser and more worldly pals began to sow seeds of doubt about Santa, I considered him to be one of a group of magical characters that adults took delight in charming children with. Included in that group were the tooth fairy, easter bunny, Jesus, God, Paul Bunyan, and a host of others. While I thought it was good fun being immersed in the fantasy of these characters.

“I felt a fulfilling sense of coming of age as I discovered the truth behind the secrets adults kept from children. Of the aforementioned group, I thought Santa was the most impressive. He had the best marketing hype, and even when his existence became suspect, I was hesitant to make disparaging comments when the holiday season was upon us. My take away from the well-intentioned, elaborate hoax was that I had to discover my own truth with a questioning curiosity. 

“Overall, the experience served me well, as it taught me to rely on self-discovery and not too heavy on the conclusions of others. Thank you for sharing your life of discovery.”

Thank you, Al, and all of you who read my blog. Hearing from you is wonderful. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.