I remember being in the fifth grade. It was Christmastime. I wore my jingle bell earrings and jingle bell bracelet that matched my Christmas socks which matched my Christmas shirt which matched the big, bright smile on my face. How could anyone say "Bah Humbug!" at this time of year? In Minnesota, the snow was falling gracefully to the ground. Dads were throwing lights up on the house while moms were wrapping gifts and kids were making snowflakes out of paper. It was magical, and that's an understatement.

I was 11 at this time, and by this age, kids tend to stop believing in Santa Claus. But I didn't. Heck no. Santa brings too much holiday cheer to my heart; of course I'm going to believe in him! The other kids thought I was a baby. (They weren't wrong, but that's beside the point.) They thought I was kind of pathetic and certainly naive. They thought they were more grown up than I was because they didn't believe in something so childish.

Like all of us, I was discouraged from believing in Santa.

How unfortunate is that? Kids being discouraged to believe in something that brings them joy. Something that brings them hope. Something that brings a smile to their face and excitement to their souls. But apparently it's childish to feel those emotions, just like it's childish to believe in Santa Claus.

Don't get me wrong; kids get to believe in Santa Claus. But what 10 year old wants to be called a kid? I know I didn't want to be a kid. I wanted to be a grown-up, just like all of my peers. By that age, kids force themselves to stop believing in Santa. They force themselves to grow up. They force themselves to be adults, and adults don't believe in Santa Claus.

But think about every Christmas movie in existence. All of them, from Hallmark classics to Disney specials. Everyone gets a happy ending in a Christmas movie. Scrooge's heart grows three sizes. The kids realize that Christmas is about more than the presents. And adults remember that they're never too old to believe. They're never too old to have hope.

Christmas is something to which we all look forward. The holiday season is full of energy; this kind of energy that only exists around this particular time of year. It's kind of like "fun-mom energy." An energy that's always excited to see you and always wants to make sure you're not hungry. An energy that's ready to give you a hug and hand you a cocoa.

The tale of Santa Claus is one that is told to inspire children. It spreads a valuable message to children and helps them grow up to be good people. People love Santa! They love everything he stands for and they love him for the person he is.

To this day, I still believe in Santa Claus. No, I don't necessarily believe in a big, jolly man in a red suit with a winter white beard who's followed around by tiny festive people. No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I believe in everything Santa stands for. I believe in hope and generosity. I believe in joy and festivity. I believe in creativity and loving everyone. I believe in full tummies and warm hearts. I believe in a toy and a happy holiday for all.