Santa: It's a kind of Magic!

Sorry, for the delay in posts but I just returned from Christmas holiday in Hong Kong.

And what was special about this Christmas? Well, it's the last Christmas (most likely) that my 10 year old son Gabriel (Who just turned 11 this week) will be looking to Santa Claus to bring his presents.

Granted, he has had his doubts the last year or so. But something magic happens at Christmas...and he wants to believe. A couple days before Christmas, we went to Disneyland. When Gabriel saw the Santa Claus there and the long line of children waiting to sit on his lap, he said, "Papa, that's not the real Santa Claus." I thought, "Wow, he really does believe."

On Christmas Eve Tammy and I were with a group of friends enjoying a wonderful dinner party with good wine and good conversation. About 11:30 PM my son came up and tugged on my sleeve, "Papa, we need to get home or Santa is not going to come to our house." I told him he was right and we soon made our way by cab across Hong Kong to our lodging. Gabriel kept looking out at the Hong Kong skyline (which is one of the most beautiful in the world) looking to see if Santa's sleigh filled the moon light.


We were staying at a friend's apartment while they were away in South Africa and Tammy had arranged a small Christmas tree on the kitchen table along with some stockings and decorations. The cab arrived at the apartment complex and I hurredly paid the driver and rushed with Tammy and Gabriel to get to our temporary home before Santa did. (It's so cool that Santa always knows where we are).

Gabriel had been sleeping on the couch but tonight we insisted that he sleep with us in our bedroom as he couldn't be out in the living room when Santa came.
I watched Gabriel carefully prepare the plate of cookies and milk for Santa not forgetting a carrot for Rudolf.

And then it hit me...

This would be the last Christmas my son would go to sleep knowing Santa Claus was on his way. Yes, he was 10 years old and had begun to question the notion...but tonight was Christmas Eve...and at 10 years old there was just a little magic still left in the air...and because of that, tonight, for one last time

... Santa Claus was coming to town!!