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When my son was 6, he sprung this question on me:

Son: "Dad, I think I'm old enough to know now. Is there a Santa Clause?"

Not being the world's fastest thinker, I stalled for time.

Me: "OK, I agree that you're old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the truth is a dangerous gift. Once you know something, you can't un-know it. Once you know the truth about Santa Clause, you will never again understand and relate to him as you do now. So my question is: are you sure you want to know?"

Brief pause.

Son: "Yes. I want to know."

Me: "OK, I'll tell you: Yes, there IS a Santa Clause."

Son: "Really?"

Me: "Yes, really, but he's not an old man with a beard in a red suit. That's just what we tell kids. You see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Clause, so we explain it to them in a way that they can understand. The truth about Santa Clause is that he's not a person at all; he's an idea. Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years. I actually bought those myself. I watched you open them. And did it bother me that you didn't thank me? Of course not! In fact it gave me great pleasure. You see, Santa Clause is THE IDEA OF GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING, without thought of thanks or acknowledgement. When I saw that woman collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she'd never know that it was me that summoned the ambulance. I was being Santa Clause when I did that."

Son: "Oh."

Me: "So now that you know, you're part of it. You have to be Santa Clause too now. That means you can never tell a young kid the secret, and you have to help us select Santa presents for them, and most importantly, you have to look for opportunities to help people. Got it?"

Son: "Sure, Dad!"