He’s always been there, and he always will be. He can travel faster than the speed of light and possibly be in multiple places at once. Some people claim he also can match the nationality of any group, disparate, and cause livestock to fly. Who wouldn’t like THAT guy?

There are several reasons we should all believe in Santa Claus, and they have nothing to do with whether the dude is flesh and blood. Consider the following case for adopting a magical position on the topic.

He’s happy, and he doesn’t have body issues.
With a small holiday junk food-induced muffin top (trust me, it won’t be long) I can testify this may be the most potent reason to love jolly ole St. Nick. His belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly, and the dude is completely happy. His happiness is not tied to anything related to body image (clearly), and he knows when to indulge. Let’s take a page from him!

He encourages us to play and be silly.
Simply believing in a magical man who lives in an uninhabitable area with elves who make toys is silly. That’s precisely why you should. There’s no harm in believing. In our society, we have the fun, playfulness, and silliness squeezed out of us. We’re taught to stop playing, and it’s at a point where most of us are so stressed out and “busy” that we wouldn’t recognize real fun if it smacked us in the face. We all need to loosen up and let a little magic in our lives. Santa is not just for kids who are too young to put two and two together.

He is generous.
Humans are selfish by nature. Other than a very few people I’ve encountered who seem to be too good to be true (Mother Teresa), most of us take care of #1 and then move on to others with our excess. “Be sure to apply your own mask before helping others” makes sense in an airplane, so you don’t lose consciousness, but not in a world with so many people starving while we surf Amazon for stocking stuffers we don’t need. Santa teaches generosity for the pure purpose of making others happy and serving them at a basic level.

He’s sensitive.
This is the one man you can believe in who is a mind reader. He knows just what you want, and wants to give it to you. Yes, please! Through this example, Santa teaches us to take a step back, a deep breath, and be empathetic to the standpoints, feelings, and desires of others. Santa may not want a new yoga mat, but he knows how much I’d love one. It’s validating!

He is super organized & believes in a merited award system.
This dude likes lists. For anyone prone to procrastination or disorganization, here’s your mentor! He keeps a list of everyone and keeps track of whether that person is naughty or nice. It may seem harsh, but guess what, people? Life does not award participation trophies, no matter what children’s soccer programs would have us believe. He is so organized that he can take care of billions of people on a very tight schedule. What a great guy!

He does not discriminate.
Yes, Santa is related to the Christian celebration of Christmas. However, he’s been around so long (see point #2) that he’s now a cultural icon. Santa does not see color, and may very well be all of the color options (see the first paragraph). Jewish? Muslim? Buddhist? Agnostic? Sikh? Pagan? Something else? Nothing? Open to everything? Trust me; if you put up a tree (which is also an iconic image) and pretend there’s a magical man who leaves you wrapped goodies or socks full of candy and toys, it’ll be fun.

 Heck – go one farther and get the elf on the shelf who moves around the house and spies on you to report back to Santa.  This year our elves brought a “Santa Spy Camera” ornament. It’s a green ornament with a black dot painted in the middle that looks like a camera lens, and guess what? It’s enjoyable. We have fun with it.

My family connects this to the traditional celebration of Christmas, but it’s not just for Christians – it’s for all of us if we allow it to be.

If those aren’t reasons enough for you, after you finish reading this close your eyes, take three full deep breaths and then visualize your life when you used to have an imagination that produced make-believe. Did you have an imaginary friend? Did you ever play house? Did you ever play with G.I. Joe figurines or Barbie dolls and play out scenarios with them? Remember when you did anything like that at all. Go back in time in your mind, and remember how you felt when you were making believe. How did you feel?

Isn’t that feeling enough to make you want to go outside your dull adult framework and allow a little play in your day? I think so.

Whatever you celebrate this time of year, please accept my very well-intentioned wish of a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy EVERYTHING from me to you and yours.