The Night Before Christmas - 2010

I loved my very special Night before Christmas book as a child and have collected more than 25 different books of the poem which I display every Christmas. The pictures are wonderful and can't you just see his little round belly - that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly.

Now think 2010.

First of all my well-read 7 year old grandson sits beside me and he begins to read. Then he says, "Grandma, "Twas isn't a word."

Explain contractions, which he indeed understands - but 'twas? When did you ever hear anyone say that?

Then we read on - "with a pipe in his teeth." Grandma! Santa doesn't smoke and if he does he'll die. Why do they say Santa has a pipe in his teeth?"

At this point I'm looking puzzled as to how to answer, when Daddy "pipes" up. "Well son, in the old days men smoked pipes quite often. They put the tobacco in the bowl of the pipe," which he showed him in the picture.

With a very sad look on his face, "that doesn't matter dad - you won't be healthy if you smoke."

Well, we read on....

He was chubby and plump - a right jolly old elf.

He stopped reading. "Grandma, they are MAKING FUN OF SANTA CLAUS! They are saying bad things about my Santa Claus."

I heard those soft-spoken words as he put his head down to his chin. After while he continued reading.

"He was blank and blank" - a right jolly old elf.......and he read each following page until he was finished.

He told me he liked my books and he really liked the story about Santa. But he also said that they didn't do a good job of being kind to Santa. And I could tell he was upset.

"Oh my," I thought. I've read that book thousands of times and never once did I think of those things. Of course I was born in the 40s and men smoked pipes and I heard people called plump many times. Attitudes and ideas do change. Life changes. We change.

I'm glad smoking is now actually known to be unhealthy and that kids understand it isn't respectful to call others bad names. But I'll continue to collect my books and love the story - and hopefully he'll understand as he grows older that words, life and we - all change.