Yes, China, there really is a Santa Claus_美文

Yes, China, there really is a Santa Claus

Memories of those magical moments linger with me still. They return every quiet Christmas morning when I rise before dawn.

Never mind the cynics who say that Santa should be arrested for breaking into people's houses in the dark, or those who say his flying sleigh should be shot down by the military. Overlook his bad example of being overweight. (His belly "shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly", according to one poem.) Ignore the unlikely logistics of visiting billions of children in a single night. None of that matters.

The magical message of Santa Claus is selfless giving. He embodies unconditional love, which seeks no personal reward. That is the spirit of Christmas.

You say it was really the parents, not Santa, who laid out the gifts while their children were asleep? Think again. Santa Claus is as real as love itself. He transcends logic. And he can miraculously bring joy to China as easily as anywhere else (even if he needs helpers).

Of course, if you stop believing in Santa, he will stop coming - which should be a warning to parents everywhere who think they bought the gifts. You can get them free if you simply believe. If you don't, you're doomed to remember paying, which only diminishes the joy.

This is the great lesson of gift-giving. Give, and then forget. Don't seek credit. Don't keep accounts. Liberated from the ledger, a person becomes free to believe in miracles.