Honoring Santa

Yesterday after Jonah was taking his nap I suddenly heard really loud Christmas music from what sounded like a large vehicle. I glanced outside to see a train of trolleys going down the street and I knew it was Menino's and Macy's Santa Trolley tour going down to Hyde Square.
"Noah do you want to go see Santa Claus?"
We quickly got dressed and decided together to use the stroller, so as to get there faster, and I actually ran, despite the stitches in my gums pulsing, all the way there.
While getting dressed Noah had some questions.
"How old is Santa?"
"Very old, thousands of years old."
Why do they call him Santa?"
"That's just what they call him recently."
"What did they call him before?"
"Odin.... but Santa's way better than Odin anyway, Santa is always good. Odin wasn't. Put your shoes on."

 I parked the stroller, they had blocked off the street and there were police there to enforce that (thank God) and we got in line to see some guy in a beard.
No.
The truth is, anytime someone dresses up as Santa, they really do become Santa. Because what is Santa or any god or Saint or religion but a collection of thoughts prayers and belief. And anyone wearing the costume is an embodiment of all of that belief. So that's why we waited there in a "line" which was a crowd of pushing people at first, to quickly give Santa a hi five. Some people took pictures, and honestly there were a lot of adults taking pictures with Santa too. We got a candy cane and a goft bag. And then there was a line for another toy. But Santa was packing up.
One kid got there with his family (which looked just like older brothers and sisters) just in tie to see Santa pack up and take off. He started bawling. I felt so sad. And the road blocks were coming up and he almost walked into the street. I almost gave him our toy, but then there was a "line" for another toy. There was much shouting in Spanish about getting in line and if adults could be helpful etc. You could hear the irritation in the voice. (I understand enough Spanish to hear clear and slow directions) That family made their way over there and the child seemed appeased.
We did not line up for the extra toy. We already had plenty of toys so the real point is to say hi to Santa, and we even got something already anyway, so we headed back to the house and I told Noah he had to share his loot with Jonah. Luckily Noah doesn't understand Spanish so he didn't even know what was going on with that other crowd. Or maybe, like me, he wouldn't have cared anyway.