A Lesson In Mistakes and Believing
I never believed in Santa as a child. I moved to the States on my 5th year of life. I distinctly remember leaving water, a cigar and grass for the Three Kings and their camels in Dominican Republic. I would leave them under my bed where they would deposit gifts just like they had to the baby Jesus at the manger. The next year, it is cold and I am told of a fat man that's coming to my house. Which was cool. Except that my brain, even at 5, was a little on the analytical side. And I remember opening up my cookware set and suddenly seeing a void of the same size and proportion above the pantry. I realized then that the gift had been stored there and never really had a chance to believe in Santa.
My belief is an intentional one and has always been rooted in God. I do believe. As a teen and an adult I came to the realization that Santa does exist to me. I would write him letters as an adult and I still think that magical things happen during this special season.
I think Santa is an extension of God. And my prayer and wishes to him get to look like a jolly old man during the holidays.
I'm not sure how much longer the Frog Princess will believe. Like me, she is observant and has questions beyond her years. But today, we still believe and we are tracking Santa and I don't understand how my spirit can feel giddy seeing him fly around the world. I'm a grown up, people!
But I think it's because of the happiness and joy that others feel. We track Santa thanks to NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence Command). And what I love about NORAD isn't the cool site that allows you to see Santa and learn about the places he's going to. It's the story of how the Santa tracker came to be.
In 1955, the Sears catalog had printed a phone number for kids to call to track Santa. Except that they misprinted the number and the calls went to the Colorado Springs' Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). Can you imagine getting calls from kids asking you about Santa when you're doing your job? Well, Colonel Harry Shoup told his staff to give the kids an update on Santa. And that's how the Santa Tracker was born.
I LOVE the story! Because it is a reminder that even when there's a mistake, amazing things can happen! Today, Santa is tracked via radar, satellite, Santa Cam and fighter jets. This is serious, folks!
I wanted to share that with you. To remind you that your mistakes can sometimes lead to amazing things. To warm you up to miracles and to get you ready for the blessings to come. Merry Christmas, my good people.
Are you tracking Santa?!
