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DEAR EDITOR:

I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O’HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.

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 measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as 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 with 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 may 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 men 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, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Rather than just celebrating another day off from school, and for many of us work, maybe we should take a look at what we can learn from those brave men and women we celebrate on Veteran’s Day.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – When you work together as a team, the results you achieve can be far greater and more productive than anything an individual can accomplish. Enlist help and collaborate as a team when possible.

Do it even if you don’t feel like it – Some days we don’t feel like making calls, writing proposals, cleaning up the kitchen or getting up and driving to work. So what! Don’t even think about whether or not you “feel” like doing something. Just move on to the next item and complete it.

Keep your eye on the big and the little picture – Advice abounds, “think about the big picture” or “just focus on what’s in front of you,” but the reality is…you need to pay attention to both. Place your attention on doing what’s in front of you and pay attention to the details, but also keep in mind the overall goal and what you’re trying to achieve.

Be clear on what you’re trying to accomplish – You need to be very clear on what you’re trying to do and why. What is it that you want out of your life, your business or career and what specifically is the desired outcome for each project or goal. You can’t get where you want to go if you don’t have a destination in mind.

Plan, but be flexible – Plan your actions, decide what you’ll do, how and when, but also be prepared to deviate if necessary. It’s often not possible to plan for every contingency, so when things shift or schedules change be willing to be flexible and regroup.

Can you think of anything I’ve left off? Have you learned a valuable lesson from a veteran that you’d like to share?

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Wisdom

Today would have been my father’s birthday. It is on days like these when we reflect on those we have loved and lost. And perhaps wished we had listened to a bit more often. Our relationship was often complicated, but valuable, as I think are most of our relationships with our parents.

As I think back on the many things I learned, I have unearthed some pearls of wisdom to share:

• Be responsible – Say what you mean and do what you say; if you make a promise, keep it; if you start something finish it.
• Always do your best – Anything worth doing is worth doing right, work hard and take pride in your accomplishments.
• You are your best judge – Don’t worry so much about what other people think of you; do what you think is right, live how you want – never mind keeping up with the Joneses.
• Family first – Your spouse and children are always your top priority; not work (although you must provide for them), not friends or relatives. The rest of the world matters, but is a distant second to family.
• Don’t waste time – Time is precious and too brief; work efficiently and take time for fun; talk with your loved ones, play with your grandkids, have coffee with friends, enjoy your pets and take pleasure in nature whenever possible.

Do you have an lessons you’d like to share? What did you learn from your parents that has been valuable advice?

Question everything, move forward, enjoy the journey.