Houses without Chimneys...

A few years ago when Rebecca was about 6 years old we were all in the back of the car driving to ballet class. We were approaching the center of town where there are some smaller Cape Cod style houses. She looked around at the very familiar surroundings and noticed that there were houses without chimneys. At first she questioned the homes without chimneys. Then, almost instantly she asked in a rather panic-stricken tone, "How does Santa go into those houses without chimneys?" As I was about to answer with a "Well..." She immediately drew her own conclusion. Very proud of herself she announced that people who live in houses without chimneys must be Jewish! Oh how I laughed! I thought this was the funniest thing, and the cleverest thing for a 6 year old to come up with!

I have never lived anywhere without a chimney. Even our New York City apartment had a gorgeous fireplace. We lived in a gorgeous Pre War building. (These are older buildings with much more charm and character than the newer taller buildings.) The Upper East Side is filled with many wonderful Pre War apartment buildings. When I was a child my concern was not whether Santa would enter through our fire place, but how he would know to stop off at each floor? We lived on the 9th floor. I certainly did not want him to slide all the way to the 6th floor, for example, without stopping off where I lived! When I was the age Rebecca was with her big chimney realization, I had figured that Santa Clause uses the chimney system much like we used our elevator!

I have a friend who lives in a small Cape without a chimney. Her 4 year old daughter is now questioning the logistics of it all. I told her to find an old fashioned key, tie a pretty ribbon around it, and leave it outside their front door. This would be Santa's key*. She loved the idea and plans to use it this year. The key will come out on Christmas Eve every year. A new tradition will have been made.

We've encountered our own dillema. Rebecca, now in the 5th grade, really wants to believe in Santa Clause. In her head, she knows, logistically, that one man certainly cannot possibly do what he does... But in her heart she really wants to believe. Like her mother she is a dreamer. She came home visibly upset the other day because so many kids in her class no longer do believe. Then, suddenly, my husband came up with the most brilliant answer that I wanted to share with you all.

"Rebecca," he said. "Not everyone believes in Santa Clause. There are children who don't believe and adults who don't believe. And there are people who believe in God and people who don't believe in God. Just because someone doesn't believe doesn't mean he doesn't exist!"


* You can make your own special Santa Clause Key, or purchase the key in the above picture through Etsy. Or peruse the many other wonderful keys on that site.