Iconic child star Shirley Temple once said: “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.” Whether we believe in Santa or not, one of the best parts of Christmas season is that even adults are encouraged to adopt a spirit of childlike wonder. I don’t know about you, but I would choose a new “toy” over a new tie any day. For example, I wouldn’t mind having Santa bring me this limited edition 2013 McLaren 12C Spider that can go from zero to 60 in 3.2 seconds. The price tag is a mere $354,000. A “kid” can dream, can’t he?
I think the movie Elf, starring Will Farrell, best personifies the childlike wonder that is the spirit of Christmas. In part, the film is successful because of the juxtaposition of jaded New Yorkers with Buddy the Elf (Farrell), a genuinely sweet, innocent and endearing human who was raised by elves at the North Pole.
For example, when asked how he got to New York from the North Pole, Buddy says with wide-eyed wonder: “I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum 
drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.” On seeing a sign outside of a coffee shop that reads “World’s Best Cup of Coffee”, Buddy rushes inside with great enthusiasm to exclaim: “You did it! Congratulations! World’s best cup of coffee! Great job, everybody! It’s great to be here!”
Buddy may be 6’3″ and over 40 years old, but he loves playing with toys. At Matchmaker Logistics, we like to celebrate the same spirit of fun, and that’s why Mary presented “toys” to our customers on a recent visit to the East Coast. 
Pictured here are Joe (top left), Jim (above right) and Pat (left). Don’t they look as happy as “kids on Christmas”?
As we fill our days with the hustle and bustle of working, shopping for presents, attending holiday parties, wrapping gifts, decorating trees, sending out holiday cards, and planning menus, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters during the holiday season. But look at the holidays through the eyes of a child, and you can’t help but be infected by the joy and magic created this time of year. I hope you enjoy these Christmas quotes from “children” both young and old:
- We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder
- I think I saw Santa, and he looks just like Dad! ~Chasen, Age 5
- Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~Larry Wilde
- One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.~Andy Rooney
- Presents are great, but love is better. ~Mariah, Age 8
- It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.~Charles Dickens
- Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.~Bobby, Age 7
- Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive. ~Robert Lyn
Act like a child this weekend,
~Bob
