I am amazed that every Christmas people say that children need to believe in Santa Claus and that for Christmas to be magical they must believe that Santa delivered their presents. All I can see is this being a sure way of destroying children’s imagination because this ubiquitous white bearded creature, who has nothing to do with the real Santa, is pre-programmed belying children’s wonderful ability of imagination. Even as a non-theist, and an ex catholic, I am offended on behalf of all the Christians who try convey a message of tolerance and peace all year and not only when Santa tells them to.
Saint Nicholas, who was born in what is now Turkey, and whose ‘saints day’ is celebrated on 6 December among many Christian nations,always tried to help the poor secretly and I imagine he would be more than appalled that the Anglo Saxon world made him the figurehead of Christmas ahed of JC. He is probably spinning in his grave since the red and white clad Santas started harassing people in the name of consumerims.
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=167

When I mentioned today that I wished I had not wasted so much time in my youth and that I was too old now to achieve what I had wanted to do when I was young, Conrad looked at me in amazement and said in an earnest and caring voice: ” Don’t say that your life is over and that you are too old. People can llive into their 90s, so your live is only half over and there is still so much you can do. There is so much life ahead of you.”

Advice which is like an early Christmas present. My custom made ‘carpe diem’. Heartfelt, simple words of wisdom which came so unexpectedly and yet so appropriately.