I just saw this movie with E and I loved it. I read the book a few years back and thought it was cute. The movie was just so beautiful to watch. I don't know if it is because I'm pregnant but there were so many touching scenes that I started crying. Tears just flowed out. When the boy heard the sleigh bell for the first time, I just lost it.
E is really getting into this Santa thing. She went in to the city to see Santa at the finale of the Thanksgiving parade, today. We wrote a letter to Santa of things she would like to receive for XMAS. I do feel a bit guilty encouraging E to believe in Santa. After watching polar express, I was all excited for Christma and I asked E if she believed. She responded with her eyes all big and she goes, " Oh, yes... I do believe in Santa!"
"At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell. But as years passed,it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found, one Christmas, that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old... ...the bell still rings for me. As it does for all who truly believe." Polar Express. This sleigh bell signifies the belief in Santa but as the kids grow older they stop believing and therefore stops hearing the bell.
I do feel a bit guilty letting E believe in Santa. It's the kind of belief that you ask one to have in God. You don't see or hear him but you just believe; you rely on God. I wonder what would happen if only christians can hear church bells and that moment when you first hear it how that would be so momentous. I just hope that the finding out that santa is not real won't traumatize my children. I keep seeing how excited and how innocent she was professing that she believes in Santa. Ugh! it makes me so guilty. It makes for a magical childhood, I guess.
Are you going to let your children believe in Santa and How long will you let it go on?
7 comments:
I remember how magical everything was about Christmas... then, after my mom bluntly told me the whole deal (at age 4!), something was always missing. I'd like to let LN believe in Santa as long as she wants to... after all, you're a child only once, right?
no temptation eating that gingerbread house...elijah sneezed on it...and licked his fingers ... and the cookie part of the house wasn't very tasty... but it was fun... I let him do whatever he wanted to that house... and.... nope...I am not going anywhere near it...I saw it in the building process... ha ha... one fun activity is cookie decorating...maybe they can do this for children's church one of these days... I guess I will ask Jess...
we aleady talked about this, but i'll make it official. it would be nice if she believed, but her dad probably won't "let" her. and if she's anything like me when i was little (jaded,) she will be incredulous that a big fat man can fit through a chimney.
Hmmm, tough one. We haven't really thought about it, but most likely we'll do the whole Santa thing. It's hard to avoid the topic since Santa is everywhere. I don't think D and I were traumatized when we found out he wasn't real. I do remember though thinking how did Santa get around the whole world in one night giving out presents. :)
our nephew ethan found out from friends, and i don't think he was traumatized. i'll have to ask SIL. he almost spilled it for the other two, which she prevented. :)
yeah, i don't know. i feel torn. i believed for a long time, i think. it was magical, but at the same time, i totally understand your dilemma. i have a feeling that c will be like kck... we'll have to talk about it tonight. :)
Hey - I still check out the Santa Doppler Radar on the late night news...you never know ;) Ho Ho Ho!
hmm... having worked with kids for so long - especially with those in the inner-city/kensington area - and having seen how they are bombarded with so much these days, it seems as though innocence has been lost on these up-and-coming generations. some of these kids know things that i've yet to learn about "life" and are so jaded.
so, yeah... i'll encourage my little ones (wherever and whenever they may be) to believe in Santa and fairy tales. and i'll continue to feed their sense of wonder, creaivity and imagination.
i cherish the innocence of youth. and hope, as that song says;
"i hope [they] never lose [their] sense of wonder..."
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