I don't believe in Santa Clause.

Every year I struggle with the lie. Why? I really do not get it.

I don't understand this whole Santa Clause thing at all. I never remember believing in Santa Clause when I was a kid. Maybe that was because I was the youngest of 6 kids and my parents stopped putting any effort into Santa. If I did ever believe, I don't remember it. Why should an imaginary person get the credit for MY gifts? How about you better be nice, or I won't give you presents this year? And when does it all end? When do I break the news to my sweet child who believes with all their little heart that Santa is real? All the movies, all the books, all the ploys and stories that we as parents do to keep Santa alive--it feels almost wrong. He isn't alive. If I didn't create Santa, there would be no Santa. My daughter said last night, "I must not have written it right in the letter to Santa last year because I said an all about me doll instead of an American Girl doll. He must not have known what I was talking about. Because my cousins all got American Girl dolls and I asked them how they got it and they said....Santa." What do I say to that? I will continue the tradition of our society and Santa will come, but I don't like it. I like keeping Christ in Christmas. I would rather the idea that we give gifts for each other because we want them to feel special, loved and appreciated. We give you gifts because we are so grateful you are a part of our family and we are honored to make the sacrifices we do to love, raise, teach and serve you. We give gifts because we are grateful to be given the greatest gift of all......the gift of our perfect Savior and his Atoning sacrifice for us. We give gifts to our children because they themselves are a gift to us.