How far would you go to keep your child’s holiday wonder alive? For most, it’s a matter of leaving boot prints in the snow and cookies out for Santa every Christmas Eve. And when the kids find out the big secret, they find out (and it’s time to make this transition).
But some parents aren’t so willing to let the dream die – even when their kids start to suspect that there might be something a little fishy going on with the big guy.
Take Texas mom Amber Hennlich, for example.
Her 7-year-old son, Aluxton, was just at the cusp of questioning Santa (helped along by the mall imposters with fake beards and polyester suits). Knowing that this could possibly be her son’s last year to believe, mom set out to find the “real” Santa – the one that her son had visited for his first five Christmases.
She put out pleas for help on the internet and took dozens of tips to find this special Santa before a librarian pointed her in the direction of a La Crosse, Wisconsin.
It was there that she’d find the Santa and Mrs. Claus that brought so much joy to her son’s life, so she decided to make a visit happen. After searching for flights, they made the 1,100 mile journey from their home in Texas to see the “real” Santa at the North Pole.
Aluxton really seemed to enjoy his visit with the Santa that he had come to love but hadn’t seen in a few years. And was even brought to tears by the experience … maybe, depending on if you ask him or his mom.
And that really warms our heart.
In an age in which families are charging for Christmas dinner and spending money that they don’t have on materialistic things, it’s nice to see someone going above and beyond to make sure that their child has the holiday spirit.
After all, life isn’t about all the money and crap you pile up over the course of 70-plus years. It’s about the love and respect you have for family, friends and fellow humans, accomplishments and, above all, the memories you make along the way.
Would you make a 1000-mile journey to see Santa if it meant your kid got one last good memory with him or is that simply too far to go? Let us know in the comments.
