DEAR ABBY: The letter from "Grandma in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.," who wanted to know how to tell a child the truth about Santa Claus, reminded me of my own experience:
Born in 1940, my son, in addition to being an only child, was a "war baby." During his early childhood, toys were almost impossible to find. The things little boys crave -- toy trucks, planes, trains, tricycles, etc. -- were not being manufactured. In 1943, he went to the circus for the first time. When he was asked what he wanted for Christmas, he said he wanted a real elephant or a red wagon. One was as easy to find as the other.
We were eager to keep his belief in Santa alive as long as possible. My mother told me to give up, but I kept saying, "Just one more year." We finally located a wagon late on Christmas Eve.
Finally, when my son was 7, Mom came to me and said I could stop pretending. He had confided to her that he knew there was no Santa Claus, but, "Don't tell Mom because she still believes in him." Needless to say, that solved the problem. -- VIVIENNE LINDSAY, LANCASTER, CALIF.
DEAR VIVIENNE: When I responded to "Grandma in Saratoga Springs," I missed an opportunity to point out that many families use the "moment of truth" when talking to their children about Santa to reinforce their belief in the spirit of Christmas that Santa Claus represents -- that of giving.
Many older children cherish the "grown-up" responsibility of keeping the belief alive in their younger siblings. Thus the spirit of giving passes from one generation to the next.