Before Christmas comes, I always think about kindness. Santa Claus is a very nice guy, don’t you think? He makes so many people happy and it is not only the kids, because what makes kids happy also makes their parents happy (in fact, to some extent, it even makes their parents kids again for a while).

I am sure that for many people, the last days of the year, when the shops are full of people on an outrageous shopping spree, are not the best period of the year. I remember one year, it was hard to find something unique for everyone and my sisters and I felt the financial burden of buying gifts to 20 to 30 people.

So we decided each of us would buy herself one gift (only one) from everyone. That worked well for 4-5 years, but getting a gift from someone else was a lot more fun, so as soon as our financial circumstances changed, we went back to the old tradition.

Joining the “Santa Club”

Only when Eden was 5 years old did I realize how much the thought of Santa Claus made her happy. Since then, I keep the tradition of every kind fairy/magical being who gives my kids gifts, money and/or blessings. I have even made a few of them up.

I have had many discussions with Gal about whether being Santa and the Tooth fairy for our kids was cheating or being kind. Gal worried the kids might feel cheated and unhappy when they found out it was Mom and Dad all along and would stop trusting us.

Looking at my 20-year-old daughter Eden helping so much to keep this tradition, reminding me to put money from the Tooth Fairy, spending time shopping for presents before the holiday and secretly wrapping and marking them makes me think she was happy about the whole thing.

As soon as she discovered we were Santa Claus, she officially joined the “Santa Club” and that gave her the opportunity to be kind and to show love to her younger siblings.

Playing Santa is a very good game for everyone, especially for kids, because it gives them the opportunity to enter the “Santa Club” in their mind and feel the joy of giving, even if it is just in thought.

For older people, it is an exercise in financial freedom, very much like playing “If I were a millionaire” or “If I won the lottery”, only this game is all about giving to others and being kind.

I like this Santa game and find it uplifting and easy to play. I invite you to join in.

How to make your Santa list

Play any time of the year. In your mind, you can be Santa Claus every day of the year, even 365 days a year. Do not limit yourself to Christmas. The giving may be imaginary and may cost you nothing, but the rewards are real and precious.
Write everything down. Then, you can have the full joy of looking at your list again and seeing how kind you are (and even showing it to others).
You can use your list of friends and people who have changed your life and think of how you can reward them.
You do not have to be fair. If you wish, you can give one person 2 gifts and to another person 200 (although then you will need two lists).
Update your Santa list every year. Writing a list is a good way of discovering what you would give your loved ones at any given time. For years, one of my Santa wishes was to buy my youngest sister a piano, because she wanted one very much. About 10 years ago, she bought herself an old piano and later on, she received a professional piano from her piano teacher (Law of Attraction moment: Yes, received! This proves again that if you really want something and keep asking the universe for it, the universe provides). Anyway, I had to change my Santa list and find her something else.
You cannot give yourself any presents. This list is all about giving. The joy of making others happy is your reward. If you are tempted to say, “I would like to give myself…”, you are not being Santa anymore.
Give tangible things. I know this may be promoting consumerism, but still, it is about you carrying tons of presents on your back and delivering them. Imagine that everyone is a kid – if they cannot see it, it does not exist. Also, a nice card or anything else you have made yourself is tangible too.
You can give as many gifts as you like. You are not limited to number of gifts or amount of money. You are Santa Claus, so you might as well enjoy it!
You are not limited to any size of gift. In your mind, there is no chimney that the gift must pass through. Think big!
Try looking for creative gifts that will make a difference in people’s life. How many stories of “I got a canvas as a gift and started drawing” or “I got a guitar and started playing” have you heard? Gifts that spark people’s talents, creativity and motivation are awesome.
It may be a good idea to make this list throughout the year and collect information about other people’s needs and desires for a while before Christmas comes. Actually using your list is a serious bonus.

Have fun with this list. If you have kids and would like to teach them about kindness, (without destroying their fantasies) play the game with them. Kids love playing it. In fact, when young kids play it and hear you talking about things you would buy, they are convinced you are not Santa Claus.

Join me next month (next year!) to make yet another list – If I had one year to live. This will be a very suitable post for the launch of my second book “In the Outback with Jasmine Banks”.

I am off for a family holiday from tomorrow until the 3^rd of January. I wish you happy holidays with your family, friends and especially your kids, many Santa thoughts and a happy New Year. Come back and read more on the first Monday in January.

Love,
Ronit