Not everyone is lucky enough to meet Father christmas in real life. But, I'll let you know a secret: My grandpa was Santa Claus – or at least I genuinely believed so for a long time. He rocked the full Santa look, in the white beard to their own custom-made Santa suit. It's been years since my grandpa died, but the lessons he educated me in as Santa Claus will stay beside me forever. Here are six of the greatest lessons I learned from my grandpa, Father christmas:
1. You have the ability to create magic.
When I was a child, Christmas Eve meant tracking Santa's journey on NORAD. My grandpa would coordinate with my parents to understand when I was watching. Then he always called me from his “sleigh” to inform me about wherever he was at the world. Now that I'm older, I try to recreate the same magic its the children in my family. I tell them the same stories that my Grandpa explained, and introduced them to the NORAD Santa tracker. In this manner, my grandpa taught me that with some creativity and a positive attitude, everyone has the ability to create magic.
2. You always have time to be kind.
These days, it is common to see people irritated in the slightest inconveniences. But despite the fact that my grandpa had a busy schedule, when children thought he was Santa, he'd never disappoint them. In fact, my grandpa made custom Father christmas business cards and gave them to children who believed that he was Santa. No matter what happened in my grandpa's life, he'd drop everything to become Santa for any child who called him. We are able to learn from my grandpa that being kind may be worth our time. This holidays, we should make the effort to hold the doorway open for someone or buy coffee for whoever is within line behind us. Small acts of kindness spread a lot joy.
3. Be aware of the energy around you.
My grandpa always had a special Santa sense for knowing when someone around him is down or stressed. When he played Santa, he made it his mission to lend an ear or perhaps a helping hand to anyone who needed it. Likewise, during this pandemic, it's important for us to understand those who might be struggling and also to try to help them if we can.
4. Release your inner child.
Even though my grandpa was a classic man on the outside, he always remained young at heart. I watched him volunteer as a mall Santa one year, and I'm not sure if his eyes or even the children's eyes lit up more as they discussed toys and the holidays together. Because my grandpa stayed linked to his inner child, he lived an existence full of extraordinary adventures and discoveries. Like my grandpa, we should all strive to live lives of joy, curiosity, and kindness.
5. Leave the world better than you found it.
As Father christmas, my grandpa touched so many lives. It's been almost 10 years since his death, but I'm still meeting those who have stories to share about how my grandpa positively impacted their lives. He left the world a happier place than when he found it. Because of my grandpa, I make an effort to improve the lives of the people I meet. I hope that people feel they are better because they knew me, and I hope that you simply live your life in the same way.
6. Hug all your family members a little tighter (after COVID-19 is over).
My grandpa taught me the hardest lesson of after he passed away. The time you have with your loved ones is valuable, and you never know how long you've with them until they're gone. Don't take a single day with your family members for granted because in the end, all you'll have is memories. I'm grateful that the memories I have of my grandpa are filled with light and magic. This holidays, send your family and friends lots of virtual love, and make memories that you'll never forget.
In today's scary world, remembering the selflessness and kindness that my grandpa lived for would do all of us good. We may not look as much like Santa Claus as he did or own a custom-made Santa suit, but we all have the ability to make the world a little more magical and spread joy this holidays (and every day!)
