A Christmas parable for tired business owners: The boy who created his own magic

He was 8 years old when he first asked.

Plenty old, it seemed, to deserve the truth.?

“No, Josiah. Santa isn’t real.”?

That admission felt so much simpler when I spoke it aloud to my other children. But Josiah was child number four – the? baby of the Hotmire house, and that meant every exhale of his baby breath broke the enchantment of our baby years.??

As we lay there in the darkness, neither of us said much more about Santa. We held our breath, listening to our heartbeats pierce the stillness in the air. I wanted to take back all the words I had just spoken – but the spell had done its work, and there was no magic that could undo its power.???

A few weeks later, we put on our coats, mittens, hats, and boots and traveled 40 minutes south to Piney Acres Christmas Tree Farm. For all of us, this annual tradition signaled the official start of our Christmas season, and year after year, we’d find ourselves spellbound by the falling snow, the bleating goats, and the hay rides through the pine trees.?

But this year felt different –? because after we had found our perfect tree and walked up to the Christmas shop, I knew we’d find Santa waiting there, expecting to say hello to any baby of mine who still believed.?

“We don’t have a believer this year,” I whispered to my husband.

He squeezed my hand, and together, we watched as Josiah came to a full stop in front of Santa Claus.??

“Would you like to sit on his lap?” I asked.?

His big, baby-round eyes locked into mine.?

“I’m not ready to not believe,” he said.?

I stepped towards Santa and Josiah followed, crawling up on Santa's lap and whispering all his Christmas wishes.

We all knew it was a ruse, but none of that mattered. It was as though time had turned backwards to return every one of his exhaled breaths of childhood.

I stood there, speechless.

We had bent the will of reality, creating our own magic even when the world tried to tell us our time had run out.

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I'm Lindsay Hotmire, and I work with small business owners who want to grow their business. Business owners find me when they're growing or pivoting and need clarity for their next step. Or, they reach out when they're ready to show up with a more authentic and aligned brand story -- and all the formulaic methods just haven't captured who they are or what they're doing. Hit the ?? to follow me here on LinkedIn or connect with me 1:1 at storyhousefifteen.com.