You're never too old for Santa Claus

Would you like to know a secret? I believe in Santa Claus.

Yep, that's right. I am a 16-year-old high school junior and I fully and completely believe in Santa Claus.

The whole nine yards of him, too: his big, round, fat belly; that oh so velvety smooth red-and-white coat; those pink, rosy cheeks; those mystical flying reindeer; and that wonderful sleigh filled with all kinds of treasures.

Old Kris Kringle's image in my mind is as crisp as the autumn air that precedes his yearly visit. It is a shame that most kids these days never get to experience the same joy in believing as I do.

My parents stay up all night on Christmas Eve getting the house ready for Santa and the festivities of Christmas Day. Sometimes Santa gets lucky and gets cake, but the majority of the time, cookies and a glass of milk are neatly sitting out in the open to cease the grumbling in Santa's stomach.

The fireplace has been spruced up to prevent Mrs. Claus from getting mad; she doesn't like it when Mr. Claus comes home dirty. The heat is on at a cozy temperature, and my house becomes a haven for warmth from the fatal temperature outside.

All the children, including myself, are fast asleep when Santa finally arrives.

He always stops at my house the longest, except for this one year. He was in a huge rush that time and accidentally dropped game boards out of his bag as he was going back up the chimney!

To tell you the truth, I don't think it was an accident. I think he just wanted to make my parents laugh. Needless to say, we greatly enjoyed Santa's careless behavior that night.

Usually he talks endlessly with my parents about our family; not only the kids, but my parents, too. I think Santa stays at my house the longest because my mom is always cooking on Christmas Eve while she waits for him, and it is no secret Santa likes to eat.

After a while, he realizes he must be on his way and departs our house with a jolly "ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!"

Many people are probably thinking that I must either be crazy out of my mind or writing facetious words; however, neither is true.

What is the harm in believing in the extraordinary? Is my believing in Santa Claus causing any harm? If not, then I don't see the problem in believing in someone so fantastically great that the entire world knows his name, his actions and his sayings.

Santa Claus is very real. He accomplishes the impossible and makes everyone smile. His ability to shape a holiday is more than utterly amazing -- it's a miracle.

Believing in Santa Claus isn't crazy, it's a gift. Every child should be given the chance to experience this gift without feeling stupid or naïve. Kris Kringle isn't a bad guy, he's not a wrong-doer. He's simply an awesome guy out to please the world.