On the way to school the other morning Santa Claus came up in conversation (Note: my kids have no sense of timing. Santa can be discussed in June, and Summer holidays recalled during snow storms. How their minds work is any ones guess). Anyway, the 4 year old wanted to know how long old man Santa had been around for.
"Um, well, for a very long time dear. Santa came to Mummy and Daddy when they were small and even came to grandma when she was a little girl".
Grandma is their benchmark for all things old (sorry Grandma).
Their eyes widen in wonder at how many years Santa must have been at this game.
"So has he been around longer than God then?" the 6 year old asked. (Told you they thought she was old. Sorry Grandma).
"Oh no. God's been around for, well forever. Since the very, very beginning of everything".
There was total silence for a few moments whilst the wonder of this information was digested. I imagined them picturing the planets revolving and possibly a dinosaur lumbering past. Then the 4 year old piped up again.
"So how did God make his sandwiches then?"
I have no answer for that. We sit and contemplate it together.
