Category: Children

An Open Letter To Mr. Claus

Dear Santa,

It’s been over 30 years since my last confession and I have to confess that things have really gone askew!  I’m not even sure my toilet swirls in the correct direction when flushed.  The world has gone mad and I was hoping that you could get things fixed.  I know you’re a busy guy this time of year, with all the labelling and legal hurdles you have to clear before you can bring goodies on your sleigh, but, I just need to know if the old Santa is still there…the one that can put fear in children that they might be on the naughty list.  The Santa who can actually have children sit on his lap without the threat of lawsuit.  Where have you been all these years?  I mean, you are still Santa, right? The jolly ol’ elf that has an independent operation in the north pole? You haven’t become the “Elf formerly known as…”, or “And now, here’s Santa, sponsored by…”?  You didn’t get caught up in any Ponzi schemes, did you? I don’t know why I worry about these things. Just do.

Are you feeling severely limited these days with all the regulations, restrictions, taxations, and legal ramifications? A person of your position is probably scrutinized 24/7.  Labor watchdogs, potential whistle-blowers, children services and such.  No wonder you don’t have the power you once did!  It’s a serious shame!  Innocence is lost, but not solely to perversions.  It seems that it’s lost to the governmental controls, corporate greed, and the individual narcissism of people today.  With all that going on, sorry to say, you never really did have a chance to survive.  The world today is heading down the path of anti-Clausism.  No one, save but a few, have the desire to believe in miracles. The days of dreaming have been replaced by the days of medication.  Your role is being replaced by paranoia.  How sad is that!

I’ve done my own tally and the best I can discern is that your “nice” list has to be really, really short.  I firmly believe that all the idiots that refuse to go beyond 40 MPH down the freeway on-ramps until after they have a mile or two under their belts should not be on that list.  I think you would have to agree that most of our world-wide government leaders have probably slipped from one list to the other.  There is so many situations of violence, mayhem, and, just plain disorder throughout the world that one would have to imagine your trip time would be half from what it once was.  Too bad you can’t take some of these “naughty listers” out behind the reindeer barn and give them all a yule log upside their heads!

Enough of that, though.  I am worried for you.  It is certainly hard to keep your mental and physical health intact these days with all that is going on.  I remember that song with the kid singing “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”.  I still sing that nowdays because I can’t afford the dental work.  Have you seen the out-of-pocket prices? Wow!  So, I sing….and sing….and wish upon a star, (or HMO, or bank loan).  Plus, it is really hard to keep one’s sanity together during these times.  I’ve found that the reindeer games really take a toll on folks these days, and all you end up with is the droppings! You must know that one first hand!  How do you cope?

Well, I suppose I should get on with my self-indulging list of ‘what I want’ for Christmas.  I am not going to ask for world peace, family love, food and shelter for the poor in the United States, bringing home the troops from overseas, justice for Caylee Anthony, our political parties to pull their heads out, jobs for the unemployed, corporate greed to subside, the end to selfishness, medical and dental care for everyone in the U.S., religions to calm down, crime to decrease, and several million other things.  I am not going to ask for any of that because I believe that you have already heard those requests from the folks on your “nice” list.

What I am going to ask for is you. The Santa Claus.  The one I knew as a kid.  The one that captured my excitement of Christmas and kept me dreaming of magic.  The Kris Kringle that created dreams inside each and every one of us.  The Jolly Ol’ Elf of yesteryear is what I ask.  I want to have that happy, carefree feeling within my heart, if but just for a moment. To experience the power you once radiated throughout the world that said ‘it’s ok to believe!’  If all the adults felt that, imagine what could really happen!  Common Sense says that the results would be wonderful!  The world needs you now, more than ever!

Sincerly,

The Cannon

 

A Dad’s Letter To His Children

There is so much that I could and should say.  The “how-to” train of thought doesn’t necessarily run in one direction when it comes to being a Dad.  I have stood on the outside and I have stood on the inside, and I have found that no matter where you stand, the position of being a Dad is fill with millions of mixed messages.  Do this, do that, say this, don’t say that, be firm, be gentle, hold tight, let go, be strong…..cry.  But, now that your young years have flown by, I look back…with my own mixed views…to the times I did good and the times that I let you all down.

It seems that no matter how a person views the role of being a Dad, there will always be personal self-reflection that points out the times when things could have been done differently.  I can’t say whether or not I have more than other Dads.  I think that I do, but I guess it really comes down to perspective.  From the time that you were born, the thoughts of “what do I do” seemed to be a daily occurrence.  Sadly, I never got a definitive answer.  Mixed messages came from everywhere.  It was from a barrage of ideas, thoughts, and world-views that I would sort through and try to mix in my own gut feeling to come up with a “proper” fatherly direction.  Sadly, I have to admit, consistency was never there for each of you and probably added to the chaos in your lives.

You each had strong personalities that brought color and variety to life.  Trying to cater to the ever-changing tides of interest was, to say the least, a challenge!  We tried the sports, we tried the music.  We tried for academics and we tried for talents.  So many areas to expose you to, was there some that were missed?  I believe there was.   But Dad’s are supposed to know.  To have the answers ready when the questions come.  To be able to guide and direct you to the correct paths that each of you should follow in your journey to being adults.  I was never really sure myself…you each have so many gifts! 

Dad’s are also supposed to be able to adapt to any situation.  Be strong during times of fear and uncertainty.  Be bold in knowing what is and what isn’t when it comes to life’s challenges.  Be a foundation that is always unshaken during life’s storms.  Be the  encouragement to all of your ambitions in life.  The 20/20 hindsight is clear in understanding that you didn’t always get that Dad.  The times when I should have been were probably the times when I was slow in sorting through the “what is a Dad supposed to do” messages.  Believe me when I tell you that my heart was always the Dad you needed, but the mind was slow in giving you that person right away.  Missed moments.

Now that you are all above the High School line of measurement, life for each of you will hit on all sides.  The ups and downs will come and you may be in a position where you need to rely on lessons from your youth.  I hope that those are the lessons that were filled with consistency and solid truths.  You see, in the Dad manual (that doesn’t exist), there are too many variables that make knowing absolutes impossible.  And since this Dad was filled with so many differing “answers”, I never did get a chance to figure out which way was the right way.  If only I had more time, more resources, or…better yet…more involvement.

There is one constant from all the mixed messages out there on how to be a Dad. It is simply to be there. Be involved. Be a presence in your children’s lives.  That “how-to” was lost in all the chaos of my mind.  Years later, it had finally come through the fog, but regrettably in the closing hours of your childhood.  The phrase “missed the boat” rings louder with each passing day. 

I can’t pretend to know what each of think when you look back on your years growing up, but on those moments when you wonder to yourself, ‘where was Dad”,  please know that I was there, trying to get the answers you needed…it just took longer than I had hoped for.  My wish is for your understanding. 

With love,

Dad