There is not a specific required age at which Santa is
revealed to just be one’s parents on a budget and which the stork is actually the
birds and the bees, so when do parents decide that the time is right for kids
to come out of their bubble of ignorance to face the harsh realities of the “real
world”?
My parents were never the type to celebrate the holidays
traditionally. I’ve spent most of my thanksgivings at Chinese restaurants
because they’re the only ones still open. It’s not surprising that I also never
believed in Santa. In third grade, I asked my mom for a Christmas present, as I
was jealous of my classmates, who would always boast about their new toys and
gadgets after break. My mother told me that I would have to compose to her an
email fully in Chinese of my wish list as a tactic of making me practice my Chinese.
The email took a good chunk out of my TV time, so you can imagine my excitement
when I woke up that Christmas to see boxes underneath the tree. The label said “From,
Santa”, but I was no fool. I've seen that wrapping paper hundreds of times in
the hallway closet.
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Turns out, my mother had actually just re-wrapped the clothes
from my closet that she got me from Gymboree on black Friday. However, that’s
not the point. Every time I tell someone that my childhood did not include
Santa, they look at me with pitying eyes. What they don’t understand is that
just because I didn't live off of the ignorant whims of childhood does not mean
that mine was not fulfilling. Childhood is not defined by ignorance. Instead,
ignorance is prominent in youth because it is just a product of censorship, a parental
instinct to protect one’s child from any means of danger. The history teacher
from Billy Collins’ poem “[tries] to protect his students’ innocence,” but he
just doesn't understand that the truth of reality can also make his students
stronger and more grounded. Santa’s missing presence from my life taught me to
work for my rewards, even at a young age.
