I'm in a room of five year olds. There's only one answer to give. “I believe he's real.”
Trouble is, this little girl comes from a very Christian home, and her family supports the season of Christ’s birth. She says “Juliette, I'm very disappointed in you.”
“Well different people are allowed to have different beliefs, and I believe in Santa Claus.”
“Some people don't believe that Jesus was real. I know he was. I don't believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny or the tooth fairy either.”
“Wow. You don't believe in the tooth fairy. That makes me sad.”
And the rest of the kids isolated her by telling me that they each believe in Santa. Faith is a hard sea to navigate. It's a good thing she has strong convictions.
Soon the topic changed to cousins. That particular girl has 200. Most had four. Some, like me, had two. They didn't settle down for their stories today. I had a rapt audience of two, and they were grateful for the two books that I read.
And while most children were finishing off their snack (late today), one quick eater had a Where's Waldo book. He had it memorized, and flew through it as quick as quick can be.
The potluck was mayhem. It was kids, parents and staff. I don't know why I was surprised by the kids and parents. Fortunately, we did not have another discussion about Santa. And the salad I got from Agora was both pretty and delicious. No mangoes. Just marinated pumpkin topped with rolls of peeled zucchini. It was a feast for the eyes and tongue.
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