Yes, Virginia, There Is

I love Christmas. Maybe it's my name. Because of my first name, Christmas was one of the first "long words" I learned to write. And my last name is the modern version of that famous Virginia who wrote to the Times asking whether or not there was a Santa.

Speaking of which, Santa is one of my favorite things about the season. Don't misunderstand me here. I'm NOT talking about the guy with the phony beard and beer belly who hangs out at the mall, but rather that spirit of kindness and goodness that looks out for those less fortunate, especially those who are under 12.

I still believe in Santa. Again, not the guy who lives in the North Pole with the red-nosed reindeer. I am really against the commercialization of Christmas. I don't believe in maxing out your credit cards to buy people stuff that they didn't want to begin with, but which you felt obligated to buy. It was understood in my house that Christmas was every day that you had a roof over your head and food on the table. But still, I also believe that there is something out there, that does cause magic to happen this time of year. It's just getting harder and harder to find.

I love playing Santa and not getting caught. Knowing that you made someone's holiday just a little brighter is what I think it is really all about. My goal is to help someone else believe in this spirit, with the hope that they too will pass it on.

On that note, I signed up to be a Secret Santa. This is a pretty cool idea. You basically sign up with your Amazon wish list, and a little bit about yourself. On December 10th, every one gets matched up. So, if you are interested, sign up soon at Secret Santa.