A New Improved Santa by Patricia Rae Wolff is one of my favorite Christmas books. In A New Improved Santa, Santa has a major mid-life crisis and decides he needs to be cooler, hipper, more improved.
Santa changes his hair color. It’s red. It’s black. He changes his hair style. It’s braided. It’s spiked. He changes his outfit. It’s a plaid suit. It’s black leather. Santa buys a new car. No, it’s a helicopter or a motorcycle or is it something completely different?
Who knows? Santa goes through so many amusing styles, attitudes, and vehicles, it’s difficult to keep up.
Yes, Santa is having a midlife crisis in this delightful children’s tale.
As readers, we sit back and watch in a mixture of fascination, horror, and complete and utter amusement as Santa whips through hair dye, rap music, and wacky behavioral changes. He has us in stitches as we experience the ridiculous changes he makes to the wonderful person everyone knew and we realize that he is the only one in his world who does not see the absurdity of his behavior.
Mrs. Claus should be made a saint! The woman takes everything in stride. She never criticizes her husband, never laughs at him, and never tells him to stop his antics, although she does raise her eyebrows here and there. I need to be more Mrs. Clausish in many areas of my life!
Part of the reason I enjoy A New Improved Santa so much is that Santa is without a doubt experiencing a midlife crisis, and yet, he casts no blame on others and does not run away from his responsibilities to the elves or reindeer. Even more importantly, although Santa is responsible for children all over the world, he never considers turning his back on them or on his kind-hearted wife.
A New Improved Santa is a must read for all children and for all adults dealing with midlife crisis. Take the time to laugh and enjoy the foolishness of a good man who fails to see how good his life is. Take the time to take in and then reflect the peace Mrs. Claus portrays in the face of this midlife crisis.
Take the time to forgive yourself if you have had moments during which you acted less than “Mrs. Clausish.” If your husband left, if your marriage and life do not yet have a happy ending (as I promise you this story will!), find comfort in the fact that your story is not over.
Your story is still in its early stages. God wants to help you write the rest of your story. Your story will be passed down for generations one way or another. Your Father wants to help you leave a positive legacy so that your story will be one of inspiration, hope, and love rather of pain, anger, and bitterness.
Your husband’s midlife crisis may lead to A New Improved YOU if you let God write your story. Please let him. Write to me and tell me how God is helping you continue your story. I know He’s still writing mine. 🙂
God Bless…