Written by Francis Church in 1897 in response to 8 yo Virginia's question if Santa was real. You
Posted By: elfMT on 2006-12-07
In Reply to:
VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measure by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest man that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank GOD! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
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Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus....sm
Santa Claus as we know him today has changed through the times, but his good will toward children has not changed.
This is a great link to tell you of that history!
Thank you for a well-written response
Of course, there are parts of what you say I agree with and parts I don't. :)
In my case, I had to step in or the state would have taken the child. The dad was a bum...but when I look at how he was raised and the he** he went through, I understand how scared he is of even trying to be a father. I don't excuse it, but I understand it. I understand it all the way to family court where I will be getting a child support order against him next month <G>. Got one on my own daughter, already. My daughter was born with a mental illness and was a teenage mother. It was a time bomb that finally exploded in a world of drug abuse. But to treat the addiction without the mental illness will never result in a productive member of society. So...that being said, holding these 2 parents accountable is futile...other than financially (okay, even I laugh at ever seeing any of that money). They are infrequent visitors in my GC's life. That is simply the way it is.
I look at European countries and see multigenerations living together even still, where the older family members help raise the young children so the parents can support the entire household. That was what I meant about a community raising children. We as Americans don't function in that way overall as a society. We splinter and break apart and when young adults need help, often it means the children go somewhere else (usually aunts, uncles, grands). Sometimes in divorce, one party has more _power/control_ (usually due to finances) and has a greater say in how, who and where the children are raised. I suspect there is some of this dynamic occuring in the OP's life that she felt she couldn't share. (My story is out there...but some are not as open). Some divorced people use children as pawns, and this, too, is as sad as parents who cannot take responsibility for their offspring.
But I do fully support any parent, who for the sake of the children, can try to enrich their young lives and teach them tolerance, patience, forgiveness, acceptance, and learn how to deal appropriately with situations so that they can grow into strong, proud adults. I suppose my point in all this was in my original response. Bad things can be found everywhere...but if we can teach our children how to deal with them in a positive way, we have given them the gift of maturity.
Thank you for your response. I did appreciate reading it and respect what you had to say.
If you tell your kids that Santa Claus is real
I don't have children but I have a friend who has children and she told my sister never to lie to her children (my niece & nephew are 5 mos. old) "it's the worse thing you can do" "if they find out you lied there will be consequences" and other remarks like that.
We were talking the other day and without even thinking we were talking about how Uncle Joey usually dresses as Santa but this year we might want to ask his son to take over and our friends child heard our discussion.
Well, she got so mad because we were insensitive to her daughter and "we don't discuss such things in front of the children"
Come to find out that her kids all think Santa is real. The oldest is 17, well, I'm sure he probably figured it out by now BUT she does not know that
So I wondered if she is lying to her children by telling them santa claus is real?
Sounds like you are talking about Joe Francis. Can't stand him
xx
I would join a church or church group. SM
I'm sure you will find someone like yourself, who likes to do the things you do, whether friend is male or female.
I'm laughing, because I am not religious fanatic. I do go to place of worship, but believe me, not fanatical.
church, church, courthouse. Married the same man
all 3 times. 
Well my church is a SB church in South Georgia
So maybe you're going to the wrong SB church!
he's not a real person, but that feeling is real - the magic. nm
.
I have already written them a letter that I will
I also suggested they take the "America" off their name as they don't represent America in any form.
you can only have one will, the latest one written...
You can have one will from one departed person per beneficiary...
If Anna had 7 wills for Daniel from herself, they have to go by the latest dated one.........
.
You will be blasted probably for what you have written
but I take another stance on this because I have been through similar with elderly people (parent was 90 when they died). After their spouse died, they asked me to come and live with them and I absolutely refused. I told them first of all I have bills they would not pay for (could have but wouldn’t have and not their place anyway) but my life would be hel*. So overbearing and almost impossible to be around to visit, just bit my tongue in order to visit. Mine was not senile at all, just so darn irritating, put me down, watched me like a hawk in their home like I was going to steal their bed or something. Does your mother have anyone there to see about her or provide any outside assistance? I tried getting this for my parent (they were so bull-headed, turned everything down) but with the senility of course you know she needs someone if not already. I just tried to provide any and all assistance available for the elderly - Meals on Wheels and other associations to assist with my parent because I would not be there to do it..... although I was only a phone call away and always could be at their home say in a couple of hours if I were needed for a real emergency like you said. By the way, the dentist office completely out of line calling about an appointment? If another place asked and you did not want to give 1, just play like you are having a senior moment, ok? If you have not done so already, check out senior assistance programs. You probable have thought about this anyway, just what I tried to do. Oh, I had the courts set up to take over my parents daily living, etc. because of a person that was taking them for a lot of money- the court case supposed to be the next week and the parent killed in an accident on a lawnmower that weekend before the hearing.
Tired--I could have written that! (sm)
I used to have to go down for a nap during my lunch break and if I wasn't careful, I'd oversleep by at least a good hour. I even tried working a split shift, which only made my fatigue worse because I'd take the 4-hour break in between just to sleep.
My husband is on the verge of needing insulin shots due to his very poorly controlled diabetes. His latest health report scared him enough to make him a willing participant in a strict diet. I am also on this diet to help make things easier. It totally bites the big one but I'll tell ya, WHAT A DIFFERENCE in my energy level--his too! We figure it just had to be the sugars and carbohydrates that were dragging us down.
No more breads, pastas, rice, or taters....all the things we really loved. We do munch all day though but on teeny portions of good stuff--mostly raw things like fruits, veggies, or bits of egg & lean meats. No more cream or sugar in our coffee, and that's just limited to 1 cup of black a day. No more butter either--my personal favoritest fat.
Been on it almost a month now and I can honestly truly feel a difference. I almost have enough energy to start exercising, which I didn't have before.
I'm 5' 10" and topped off at 230 but am now down to 220 just by this diet alone with no exercise. I'd be happy at 185 but once winter hits...man, I just don't know about that! I haven't been to a doctor in about 2 years either, but I'd recommend you visit one if you can, just to rule out stuff, ya know?
Hope you feel better soon!
I have written 6 screenplays.
I also have many in various stages of completion. I have never even told anyone that I write. My husband doesn't even know. I took a transcription course because he would complain about me being on the computer so much that I thought if I had a good reason to be on the computer, he would leave me alone. I wait until he and the kids go to bed at night and then I type away. He has almost caught me a couple of times by sneaking up on me to see what I am typing. It has caused a few arguments because he thinks I must be chatting with a guy online or something. I would rather have him think that than tell him what I really do. The reason I don't tell him is because I am not ready for him to read my screenplays. I just do it for myself because once I get an idea for a story, I can't think of anything else until I get it written down.
SIS if written in caps
x
yes and yes! It is the tone in which it is written.
Condescending, ridiculing, belittling, ironic, sarcastic and implying that a 56-year-old woman (only the woman, not the man !)is 'over the hill' and has to expect to be cheated on with a 22-year-old.
I am not so sure that he is so 'unaware' of the slur. I think this is his general attituce toward women, but he is sugarcoating it to appear oh, so 'cute and likable.' A very biased statement.
In Virginia ....
I was looking at Charlottesville, as well as more northern like Front Royal, Manassas, just not to close in to DC.
Virginia
I am a Virginian from day one and will never leave Virginia, at least if I have anything to say about it. However, I just learned recently that whenever you are buying a home here, your real estate rep will always be representing the seller. This was told to me by a real estate agent who had once lived in New York and moved here. Not only is the seller's real estate agent representing the seller, but the agent that the buyer has enlisted, will also be representing the seller. I know this sounds convoluted, but it is the way that it was explained to me. After I heard this, a lot of what went down regarding our purchase of a home, with regards to our real estate agent, started to make more sense. She recommended that, next time, we totally bypass using a real estate agent when purchasing a home, or to make sure we have a clear understanding with the agent that he/she is representing US.
""Love Must Be Tough" -- written by (sm)
Dr. James Dobson -- excellent for couples with significant marriage problems -- please read.
Sounds like your husband is seriously involved with "someone else." And, if so, you could never be organized enough or tall/thin enough. His insulting remarks are possibly his outlet to relieve himself of "guilt." Don't give up -- be tough!!
Just another opinion!! May God bless you in your decision-making.
If you have stamps with "Forever" written on them
d
Men don't keep everything written in their daytimers the way women do
Men don't keep everything written in their daytimers the way women do. Maybe he is planning a surprise for you this evening, however he could have at least said Happy Anniversary and given you a kiss.
I live in Virginia
and have often been to MB. We didn't start going until out children were toddlers and actucally were pretty good travelers (7 1/2 to 8 hours for us). Could you convince your hubby to go to a beach closer to Ohio and maybe be able to cut down on the travel time?
PS. I'm in SW part of Virginia. (NM)
x
Old Virginia is another good one to try
They're soy candles. They're available at Cracker Barrell restaurants and online. Some local gift shops carry them too. I think QVC carries them. The scent lasts through the whole candle. They burn cleaner than Yankee Candles and aren't as expensive. I've also bought them on ebay before. I still like Yankee Candles, but these are nice too.
I'm headin' to Virginia in the next . . ..
1-2 years. I have lived and traveled all over and have been in Georgia for almost 20 years. I hate this backwards state!! I am originally from Virginia and that's where I want to live out the rest of my life. It is the best, and truly God's country.
My heart is in Virginia...
where the grass actually is greener. There's no other green like it. But, I had to get directions to my home place a while back, that's how much it's changed. I still want to go back, though.
No thanks, the Holy Bible is THE written authority to me!
j
I could have written your post. I've wondered too.
 
I have read everything Fannie Flagg has written
Alawys funny off-beat characters.
My last fortune cookie was written in English...sm
on one side and Spanish on the other!
39 and snowing in Virginia Beach
Absolutely beautiful watching the snow fall and then melt as soon as it hits the ground!
I am in Virginia and this is the first rain we have had in days! nm
!
Deep south, Virginia, nah I never
thought of that as the deep south. We think of it as the northern most of southern states.
Same thing here in my part of Virginia
the flu, strep, bronchitis, and just the plain old cold. There was even talk of shutting down schools from a Friday through Monday just to give this a chance to die down. That didn't happen but we did get a rather large snow that seemed to freeze the virus. That did help, but warmed up again and seemed to start all over again.
Who's Virginia? No message inside
?
Hello..You could have written my post. The jelaousy bug..Gets the good ones all the time!!! nm
n
Horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech
In Blacksburg, VA. Someone went on a shooting rampage and he and at least 20 others are confirmed dead. My son is in high school but was there today on a field trip. He and his class were walking on campus when a professor took them to a safe room in the basement of a building. My son used his cell (wasn't supposed to have it with him but thank goodness he did) to call my hubby, and he came home from work to tell me. I of course went all to pieces but am a little better now. Just can't imagine what the parents of the other students are going through. They are now allowed to leave as soon as the can find the bus and bus driver. He was sent to another part of the campus. Just needed to talk about this a little. Thanks for listening.
I totally agree with you. I live in Virginia
and don't care that he played ball here. What he did is appalling and he should definitely do jail time, but I also think what L.Lohan has done is appalling and she could have killed someone and only gets 1 day and some community service. Doesn't make since.
Midlothian, Virginia - would pack and move back now
if I could!
Not West Virginia....Wisconsin...they look close when you use the initals.
WI.....WV....very close
Odenton Maryland/Virginia Beach Va info needed.
Hey everyone. Hope you are all doing well.
We are scheduled for a vacation here in the next few weeks (business trip for hubby that we are turning into a vacation), and are going to be in the Odenton, Maryland area and then the Virginia Beach area. If anyone is familiar with those areas, here is what I am curious about.
- In Odenton - book stores, yarn shops, fabric shops, flea markets, etc. Obviously I have to do something to keep myself busy while he works for a couple of days, lol.
- In VA beach, a nice spot to picnic on the beach/near the beach that also has nearby access to a decent public restroom. I know, sounds strange, but I have a health condition....anyhow.
Thanks in advance for info and advice.
HC
of course it's real!!! It's all real, hence the title
gross
What!!!! No Santa?
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
No Santa Claus?Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!
Santa
You don't give any details about this came about. Did someone in the class ask the teacher if Santa Claus was real? If so, she/he would not want to lie to the class, since that would undermine their trust in her/him.
If you have a third grader who still believes in Santa, you must have wrapped them in bubble wrap for the past 2 years. It is a very rare child who believes beyond Kindergarten or First Grade - usually their older siblings or the neighor kid tells them "the truth."
BTW, I think the "truth" about Santa is that he is real - he's a symbol of the Christmas Spirit and that survives despite all the cynicism, hatred, intolerance and fear in the world.
santa
I must admit even before my brother and sister told me at age 8 I was beginning to have doubts and I did not want to say anything because I thought I would not get a lot of gifts but it was still fun believing there was the possibilty also that there could be a santa! Someone breaks your heart sooner or later.
Bad Santa...
"I saw you at another mall. Well, I'm happy for you. If you really are Santa, you could do magic. Wanna see some magic? OK, let's watch you disappear!"
You don't believe in Santa?
Santa is the "spirit" of Christmas. I can't imagine not believe there is a Santa Clause, and I'm 37. Oh my goodness, honey, you're won't get anything for Christmas if you don't believe in Santa.... 
Santa
My DD is going on 10 and DS is 6. They believe in Santa. My daughter has questioned and I explained it this way - There was a real Santa, and that whole story and that he brings the presents to those that "believe", but the second you say out loud "into the air" that you don't believe , we (meaning mom and dad) have to start bringing the presents...and I can't afford that...:)
So she still believes but we also get gifts from "Mom and Dad" so there are also things under the tree from us as well as Santa (who by the way does not wrap, but that's another discussion altogether!)
By the way, in our house Santa, the tooth fairy, Jesus, and God all know each other and communicate with each other, as in God sees everything and knows if you are "being bad" and let's Santa know, etc...They are not to keen on the whole Easter Bunny thing though...
Santa and EB and TF
I have a friend who promised she would never lie to her kids, and so she was honest from the start about Santa and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, but also explained to them that alot of their friends believe in them, so asked her kids not to ruin it for them.
In our house, our kids believe in the "idea" of Santa and the Easter Bunny but were confused about why we would see so many Santas in every store. I told them that Santa could not physically be in every place at once, so we all have Christmas Spirit, which we use in different ways to help Santa. So some of us dress up like Santa, some of us deliver presents to needy kids, that kind of thing. At 5 and 6, they really seemed to grasp that and understand.
Believing in Santa
I'm not sure how old I was, but my 12 year old realized ther was no Santa when she was 10. I'm not sure how she actually found out, but I know a year before that she noticed the same wrapping paper that Santa used that I also used (I forgot and wrapped the gifts the same). She also said she knew no one could bring toys to everyone in the world in one night (too smart for her own good). I think most children find out through other older childen either in school or in the neighborhood. It didn't seem to effect her at all. I told her that if she ever tells her 3 year old sister before she can figure it out for herself (hopefully she'll be 10), that I won't buy her any more presents. LOL.
Dear Santa....
Dear Santa,
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.
Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.
I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.
If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.
On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.
I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.
If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning , or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.
If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.
Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back.
Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.
Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.
Yours Always, MOM...!
P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my reques ts if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.
AMEN to that
Dear Santa:
Dear Santa:
I rarely ask for much. This year is no exception. I don't need diamond earrings, handy slicer-dicers or comfy slippers. I only want one little thing, and I want it deeply.
I want to slap Martha Stewart. Now, hear me out, Santa. I won't scar her or draw blood or anything. Just one good smack, right across her smug little cheek. I get all cozy inside just thinking about it. Don't grant this wish just for me, do it for thousands of women across the country. Through sheer vicarious satisfaction, you'll be giving a gift to us all. Those of us leading average, garden variety lives aren't concerned with gracious living. We feel pretty good about ourselves if our paper plates match when we stack them on the counter, buffet-style for dinner. We're tired of Martha showing us how to make centerpieces from hollyhock dipped in 18-carat gold. We're plumb out of liquid gold. Unless it's of the furniture polish variety. We can't whip up Martha's creamy holiday sauce, spiced with turmeric. Most of us can't even say turmeric, let alone figure out what to do with it.
OK, Santa, maybe you think I'm being a little harsh. But I'll bet with all the holiday rush you didn't catch that interview with Martha in last week's USA Weekend. I'm surprised there was enough room on the page for her ego. We discovered that not only does Martha avoid take-out pizza (she's only ordered it once), she refuses to eat it cold (No cold pizza? Is Martha Stewart living?) When it was pointed out that she could microwave it, she replied, "I don't have a microwave." The reporter, Jeffrey Zaslow, noted that she said this "in a tone that suggests you shouldn't either." Well, lah-dee-dah. Imagine that, Santa! That lovely microwave you brought me years ago, in which I've learned to make complicated dishes like popcorn and hot chocolate, has been declared undesirable by Queen Martha. What next? The coffee maker? In the article, we learned that Martha has 40 sets of dishes adorning an entire wall in her home. Forty sets. Can you spell "overkill"? And neatly put away, no less. If my dishes make it to the dishwasher that qualifies as "put away" in my house! Martha tells us she's already making homemade holiday gifts for friends. "Last year, I made amazing silk-lined scarves for everyone," she boasts. Not just scarves mind you. Amazing scarves. Martha's obviously not shy about giving herself a little pat on the back. In fact, she does so with such frequency that one has to wonder if her back is black and blue. She goes on to tell us that "homemaking is glamour for the 90s," and says her most glamorous friends are "interested in stain removal, how to iron a monogram, and how to fold a towel." I have one piece of advice, Martha: "Get new friends." Glamorous friends fly to Paris on a whim. They drift past the Greek Islands on yachts, sipping champagne from crystal goblets. They step out for the evening in shimmering satin gowns, whisked away by tuxedoed chauffeurs. They do not spend their days pondering the finer art of toilet bowl sanitation. Zaslow notes that Martha was named one of America's 25 most influential people by Time magazine (nosing out Mother Theresa, Madeline Allbright and Maya Angelou, no doubt). The proof of Martha's influence: after she bought white-fleshed peaches in the supermarket, Martha says, "People saw me buy them. In an instant, they were all gone." I hope Martha never decides to jump off a bridge. A guest in Martha's home told Zaslow how Martha gets up early to rollerblade with her dogs to pick fresh wild blackberries for breakfast. This confirms what I've suspected about Martha all along: She's obviously got too much time on her hands. Teaching the dogs to rollerblade. What a show off. If you think the dogs are spoiled, listen to how Martha treats her friends: She gave one friend all 272 books from the Knopf Everyman Library. It didn't cost much. Pocket change, really.
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