Christmas Lunacy

"It's like a bad Arnold Schwarzenneger movie!" my sister exclaimed on the phone after explaining her Christmas shopping nightmare. Then she passed along the order: find a Dash Incredibles Action Figure. My stomach sank since I am enough of an internet junkie to know I was being sent for this year's Holy Grail of children's toys.

It would be easier to ignore if this weren't my nephew's first year of understanding 'Santa Claus.' After he watched the Incredibles, my adorable nephew spoke of nothing but Dash. The first moment he saw Santa, he had only one desire: "I want a Dash for Christmas." Eager to avoid tragic, Christmas-movie-style disappointment, the family went into overdrive to assure a Dash action figure for Christmas.

At some point in the past month, my mother, sister, and I all held a Dash action figure in our hands and thought, "Gee, Ethan would love this!" Yet we passed on the purchase thinking there would be plenty of time.

Ha! Fate has laughed at our naivete. Both Disney imagineers and parents underestimated the draw of a 7-year old with superpowers. Finally, the school-age set, long convinced they are smarter, faster, cooler and more magical than other mere mortals have found their hero. The Dash doll zipped off the shelves as quickly as its namesake escaped the killer robots. The adults of the world were left dumbfounded, calling feebly after their children's fantasy.

I spent my day negotiating with toy collectors and eBay vendore to try and convince them to let me unwrap a collector's box. "Really," I pleaded. "This is a passing fad. It won't be worth anything if you have 7 dolls that no one cares to see." As you might imagine, that tactic didn't go very far with the fanatic, obsessed toy hoarder. I am still a little slighted that his musty closet collection has greater value than the excitement of a four-year-old, and I am certain that my lack of respect for his shrine has not left him feeling pleasantly toward me.

Now I leave my desk armed only with a few hopeless eBay bids and a feeble, "Maybe they'll get in a shipment" to utter to my sister when she calls. It is difficult to believe that my nephew's simple faith in any power will be destroyed before it has time to take flight.

For the first time, I see a downside to Santa Claus. I have always seen him as a way to teach children to have faith and hope in things that they can't see or touch. Santa is good, pure, humble, and caring. These attributes will later be attributed to Someone not so quick to provide action figures and dolls on Christmas morning, yet whose Spirit imbibes the holiday with all its joy and laughter. However, left with Ethan's possible realization that there is no creature that can work Holiday miracles leaves me afraid for his long-time ability to believe that there are Powers in this world that DO work for our good, even if we never get our Dash action figure.

Last Sunday, my beloved boy was in church being taught about the nativity. When he came home, his mother was preparing our family's traditional Advent calendar. Each day, the children pull out a picture representing the Nativity. Ethan asked what order the pictures would be. His mother reminded him of the order of the nativity. In simplicity, Ethan looked at her thoughtfully and said, "But Mama, shouldn't everything begin with Baby Jesus?"

It's this simple faith that I'm afraid to crush. Children learn hopelessness so young in our culture. For one Christmas before our jaded culture seeps into his purity, I want Ethan to BELIEVE.

Come to think more on the subject, maybe I'm ready for round two with the toy collector. Maybe I've finally found something he'll be willing to hear. But come hell or high water, I will find a Dash action figure for Santa Claus to bring to Ethan on Christmas morning.