Tis the Season

Yes, dear reader, there is a Santa Claus. Now you're probably waiting for the trite follow up. Maybe it goes something like this: Santa Claus is the spirit of Christmas. He's a feeling rather than a person. Some might even say that he is a place (such as home) or that "Santa lives in the hearts of those who believe." If you're waiting for me to say something like that, you're going to be disappointed. Sorely so. Is Santa Claus Real? I'll tell you he is! ( Source CC BY ) I discovered on the Christmas Eve of 2017 that there is, indeed, a Santa Claus. As the dust settled from our family gathering and the grownups made our way into the living room to chat with a cup of coffee, we all shared a similar story. So similar, in fact, that when we tell this story it sends shivers up the spines of those listening. Each of us remarked that we had, as children, never heard a peep  outside of our bedrooms on Christmas Eve. Some of us slept all night;