We met Santa yesterday. The REAL Santa. It wasn’t even December yet but the Christmas spirit is flowing freely in my household! And I am here for it. I am all in! We all love it!
But the night before we were going to see Santa for our annual Santa pic, my 5 ½ year old kept coming out of her room after a late bedtime. We knew she was totally exhausted and needed to get to sleep! The 3rd or 4th time or 1100th time I tucked her back into bed, she told me she was worried because she didn’t know what to ask Santa to bring her for Christmas.
My heart melted for a few reasons.
We are so very fortunate. We have some silly, laughable first world problems. I am so thankful that she is up at night thinking about new toys, not worried about her next meal, shelter, the security of loving parents. We are in the holiday season of abundance- so much food, so many things squeezed onto the calendar, so many experiences, so much excitement, so much laughter. We need to fully appreciate our abundance and then be sure to share it with others.
My heart also melted at her feelings of anxiety. Our kids have worries, too. And they are very real to our kids. While I’m just thanking the Lord that this is all my daughter has to worry about, it’s still a very real worry to her. Just because their concerns seem silly and unimportant to grown-ups, doesn’t make them any less troublesome for little hearts. We can laugh about them later when there is no chance of sweet little ears hearing us, but in that moment, we must take their feeling seriously and help our kids work through them.
So what happened with Santa? I reminded my daughter of the dress up outfit she has been wanting. She wanted to ask Santa for something big- like a bike or something- which she already has. Instead, she got excited to ask for a new Frozen 2 Anna dress, wig, and boots. She went to sleep immediately once this predicament was solved. And the next morning at 7:30am, she was up, excited, and creating a lovely list to give to Santa. She was so excited about it and had the very best morning visiting “Santa’s Wonderland”, being carefree, and back to regular 5-year-old worries.
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