Ho, Ho and a Bottle of Rum

Read the most ridiculous story this week about a submission to the British Medical Journal -- which they should be ashamed for accepting -- about the negative influence of Santa, specifically how he promotes obesity and drunkeness.

Dr Grills declared: "Other dangerous activities that Santa could be accused of promoting include speeding, disregard for road rules, and extreme sports such as roof surfing and chimney jumping."

Now I am never going to claim that I have a great love of Christmas. I get myself in a tizzy about decorating, buying gifts, spending money, wrapping, you name it. I hate when the season starts and I count the days until it is over.

But, I do encouorage my son to believe in Santa.

Childhood is so fleeting and the magic inherently lies in those simple flights of fancy and the power of fairy dust. Hope, fantasy, imagination: children possess those in abundance, and they all slowly errode with experience and time.

There is no such thing as prince charming or love at first sight. But with perseverance, hard work, good decisions, love and lots of laughs, you can make a good life.

Until that time, he can have Santa.