Never too old for Santa Claus

My years are not only measured by birthdays, but by the picture with Santa Claus that is taken every year. I am a sucker for tradition, and this is one of my favorites. Not a year goes by without Brunch with Santa.

After a lovely meal, it comes time once again to take the famous picture. We still have all of the pictures and it brings such Christmas joy to bring them out and see how much I have changed. It is then that I realize that Santa Claus truly is a big part of my life.

The pictures of Santa and I when I was little are, of course, the cutest. There is a gleam of joy in my eyes and a completely sincere smile on my face. I can not think of anything as innocent as a child sitting on Santa's lap. I was able to tell him my every wish, hope and dream. He would listen with that rosy look that told me he really did care. Nothing was impossible. One year I asked for a rainbow, that was all I wanted. I was an especially good girl that year just so I could get a rainbow from Santa Claus. Christmas morning I came down to find my rainbow drawn with chalk on a chalkboard on my brand new toy kitchen. Santa has yet to disappoint me.

To my parents, these pictures with Santa never seemed to get old. I, however, had different ideas. In my opinion, it came to a point that I became to old for Santa Claus and you could see it in the pictures. I would not even sit on his lap! I looked at him with my arms crossed thinking "how pathetic!" It was no longer fun, just childish. I had given up on Santa Claus, but he had not given up on me.

Last year was a different story. I had the feelings I had towards Santa when I was younger back again. It was Christmas and I was going to sit on Santa's lap. My friend Georgia was with me, so we decided to sit on his lap together, one of us on each knee. It was like old times; the joy was back again. He asked each of us what we wanted for Christmas and we both answered the general answer, surprises. It was then time for the picture.

As my dad did the counting, Santa leaned so close I could feel his whiskers tickle my cheek. He then whispered in our ears, "I know exactly what to get you. Boyfriends!" That year I had the biggest smile of all in my picture with Santa Claus. It was then that I realized that I will never be too old for Santa Claus.

Meghan Kennedy
Age 14