DuBois Sisters Christmas 2009; Most recent picture I have of all of us in front of the tree.
One of my biggest fears that I have as a woman who majored in Youth Development is children not making these memories for themselves the way I did when I was young. At my current job, I watch children sit in carriages watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or playing some Angry Birds Toss game while their mothers are shopping for gifts for the holidays. Although it seems convenient, there's something about this that really urks me. There's this funk I get in when see my friends looking down on their phones when we are all out, nevermind seeing a three year old using their father's Snapchat.
I plan on writing another post similiar to this post about my childhood in the '90s versuses the childhood our youth have today, a post that won't be as festive. However, in the midst of my thought process on this concept, I always think about what children could stumble upon while browsing the web. These children's brains are developing, but technology is allowing them to exercise their brain ever more; they know they can look ANYTHING up, including "Is Santa Real?" Today, I want to share something I saw on T.V. the other night; a commercial about a project that warmed my heart. The Macy's Santa Project, a social media campaign promoting children believing in Santa, is asking you to post a video, like, share, or tweet with #SantaProject to show children that you believe in good old Saint Nick. On their page (link at the bottom of this post), they have a link that allows you to post a video. Below is the lengthened commercial that is promoting the cause.
Another link on Macy's page talks about why Santa is real, on an emotional and psychological level. Not only does this cause help children keep the magic in their childhood and their hearts, but it also donates to Make-A-Wish Foundation. If you write a letter to Santa through their website, it donates one dollar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This campaign feels right. It feels festive. It feels magical. I know it's a long while from now, when I watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I will look at Santa from a whole new light. This campaign is so much more than keeping the faith and belief of Kris Kringle himself. It feels like there is a magic in the air that is bringing our country. Now that this post election nightmare has past, it is times like the holidays to not come together with friends and family, but "say hello to friends you know and everyone you meet." I am aware that not all children celebrate Christmas, but I hope the magic goes through all of us this holiday season.
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