Ever since I was born, I always thought that Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny were real creatures. I loved the thought that they were so jolly and full of spirit, doing nice things for everybody to make their lives better. I loved Christmas mornings, waking up early and running downstairs to find a present under the Christmas tree, going to my friend’s house to go Easter egg hunting, and waking up to find money under my pillow instead of my old tooth. These creatures made my life very happy and exciting… at the time.

As I grew older, more and more logic began to take place inside my brain. I began to wonder how one man could travel across the world in one night, how the Tooth Fairy could get under my pillow while I was sleeping, and how the Easter bunny had enough time to hide eggs in everybody’s backyard. Interested, I began to ask my parents how, but they kept on giving me cheesy answers like, “The Tooth Fairy walks through your walls and puts a dollar under your pillow at night.” This was when I first began to doubt the possibilities of these creatures that I loved.

When I was 10, I thought that Santa could give you any present you wanted, but it couldn’t be too much because he had many other kids to give presents to. One day in December 2003, my mom took me to Target and asked me what I wanted for Christmas, so I could tell Santa later. I told my mom the name of the game, and we looked for it, but the store didn’t have any in stock, so she asked me if I liked another game that was also fun, but not as good. The night of Christmas Eve, I asked Santa to give me the original game I wanted, but the morning later, I found the same game that I saw in Target with my mom. Not to say that I didn’t appreciate my present, I just thought that it was too much of a coincidence that I didn’t get my present that was out of stock, but I did get the present that my mom asked if I wanted. The day after Christmas, I finally asked my parents if Santa was real, and they told me that he wasn’t. I was heartbroken, realizing that the big, friendly man with elves and flying reindeer did not exist. This led me to other conclusions like the non-existence of the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny.

That day, I knew that I had matured and stopped believing in childish thoughts, although it pained my emotionally. I felt that my parents lied to me, but also older, because I knew something important, and that it was my responsibility not to tell my sister, three years younger than me. Now, although these magical beings don’t exist anymore, I still feel joyous when thinking about them, and every time I do, I feel the entrancing spirit that I felt when I still believed in them.