Merry Christmas!! Where Is Santa??

If you have children, or have ever been a child, you know the excitement of Christmas. And integral to the holiday excitement is the imminent arrival of Santa.

Imagine — one elderly gentleman sliding down every chimney on earth and doing it in a single night. No wonder he stays home at the North Pole every other day of the year. In fact, an unauthorized (elf) source has confirmed to me that after he loads his sleigh and takes off, Mrs. Claus has been heard to mutter under her breath, “Finally! I have an evening to myself.”

We all know that the idea of Santa is a fable.

Or is it?

I want to be a source of happiness for the holiday season, not some sort of Scrooge. So, let the children remain naive. And perhaps, as adults, a part of us should remain naive as well. Perhaps we should each remember our own childhood.

On Christmas Day, Daveen and I are hosting an open house for friends and family. Unfortunately, all the chimney sweeps in Los Angeles are busy (yes — both of them). Fortunately, we only use gas logs in our fireplace so, as the late basketball announcer Chick Hearn often said, “No harm, no foul.”

Santa, we welcome you to Sherman Oaks.

In the spirit of the holiday, I will posit an alternative view of Mr. Claus. Years ago, I flew in a small plane that landed on ice nine tenths of a mile from the true North Pole, (or so the pilot informed us).

I saw no elves, no sleigh, and no red costumes anywhere. And yet, in my lifetime, I have met Santa many times.

And he comes in many forms. I’m still grateful to one of my law professors, Leonard Ratner, who gave me the gift of being able to take the Bar Exam with the rest of my class, despite the fact that the final paper I submitted was, well, far too short.

Here’s the secret.

Most of us find the greatest pleasure, especially on Christmas, in the giving.

So if you’re wondering where Santa is right now, I’ll tell you.

Santa is reading this blog. Because Santa is you.

Wishing everyone a fulfilling and Merry Christmas.

Alan