nestofstraightlines:

benito-cereno:

Of course I do. That’s why I write letters to my nephew that are from Santa Claus.

Why would it be wrong for kids to think and know and understand that the world is a magical place? Why would it be wrong for someone to experience a protective force of love that gives and asks for nothing in return?

Anyway, the fact is Santa Claus is real. I can see the effects he has every day. Anyone I ask on the street will know his name and who he is and what he does. Just because I may never see him with my eyes and touch him with my hand doesn’t mean that he doesn’t affect me. I’ll never see or touch President Obama, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have influence on me.

Santa Claus is real in the way that Superman is real and that ghosts are real; and, in fact, in the only way that really matters: they are indelibly laced with metaphorical power and metaphor is one of the strongest weapons we as a species have in our arsenal. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may destroy or heal me forever.

And just to be real for a second, if a mom thinks Santa Claus is the only “lie” she’s ever going to tell her child, I don’t think the child is the one she needs to focus on being honest with.

“All right,” said Susan. “I’m not stupid. You’re saying humans need… fantasies to make life bearable.”

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

“Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—”

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

“So we can believe the big ones?”

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

“They’re not the same at all!”

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME…SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

“Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what’s the point—”

MY POINT EXACTLY.

– Hogfather, Terry Pratchett