Santa is not a holiday hero for children growing up in poverty. I don’t think this is just because someone spoiled the excitement or because I caught him unloading gifts on my front porch—but because I knew, even at seven years old, that he didn’t exist. There was no chimney for him to slide down at my house. There was no ho, ho laughter filling the night, and no tree for him to place gifts under. We didn’t have one.

pexles