If you are a kid who believes in Santa Clause, believes in magic, live your dreams. Make Santa cookies and stop reading this.
Santa isn't real. I know it. I don't wanna break it to you in this way, but I have no choice.
I see the magic in all of it, but I'm sure some kids are left feeling a bit betrayed by the people who told them to "Just believe." It is really the only time of year caregivers of children can use the, if-you-aren't-good-the-old-dude-will-skip-your-house bit.
I think I was 12 when I stopped believing. Had it not been for Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Johnathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, and Danny Wood, I'd still swear I heard hooves on my roof. It was about two or three days before Christmas somewhere around 1994. I was in the backseat of my mom's car and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a medium-sized puzzle with 5 hunky men-deer. That's right, an NKOTB puzzle. I figured it was mine and my mom was trying to hide it back there until Christmas.
Christmas came and went. But no puzzle. Something just wasn't right. The pieces didn't seem to fit.
Until.
Christmas morning. In my house we open presents Christmas Eve and Santa comes on the morning of Christmas day. At this point I had forgotten about the puzzle. My mom was recording us opening our presents and got that moment on film. The moment that magic left me. This was my thought process in that moment:
"Wait. What? Why would Santa hide the puzzle in my mom's car? I thought he.....wait.... noooooooooooooooooooooo!"
And that is how NKOTB ruined Christmas. In writing this blog I decided to listen to those songs I loved so much. I never realized there are really no harmonies. They are all singing the same damn note.
NKOTB, cross me once shame on you. Cross me twice and shame on me.