As a child, Kris was irrepressible. So much energy, so much fun. He was always on, always laughing and joking and go-go-going! (Of course, nowadays he’d be diagnosed as Manic with severe ADD and put on all kinds of medicine…). His joking often took little side trips into mischevious pranks and tended to get him into quite a bit of trouble. But Kris loved to serve up happiness to anyone who’d let him by making them little things – toys, figures, whatever they might like. He hardly ever slept – but that was okay for his magical self. He had little use much of what normal folk needed.
Because Kris was far from normal. His mother discovered his magic when Kris was a mere 4 months old. Kris had never
His mother was super supportive and loving. When he’d make something or do something wrong, she simply chuckled and called him her “Lil’ Shooting Star.” His father, however, was not as understanding. Untouched by the magic star dust, Kris’s dad aged normally and became more and more decrepit as his wife stayed joyously youthful and son grew to be a smart, strong, creative, happy little man. Eventually he couldn’t take it and one day simply walked off into the woods with only the clothes on his back, never to be seen or heard from again. But that was just fine with Kris and his mother – they have a sort of supernatural tendency to be able to empathize with people and animals. They understood what the man was going through and did not harbor any ill will toward him. They both only wished him joy.
As time passed, people started to notice that Kris and his mother were special. Kris’s mother seemed to stay very young and in perfect health. A few poor souls thought it was witchcraft, but since the Salem witch trials 90 years before, it was uncouth to dredge up witchery. But people enjoyed Kris’ jolly temperament, energy and jokes. And they loved the things he made. Since he hardly ever slept and made things all the time, his little house was stuffed so full it was bursting. So he started to give things away. And after a while, all the children began to expect Kris to gift them the things he made all the time. Walking through town got to be a chore. So he limited his gift giving to once a year…
Kris grew at a normal pace, but as soon as he reached puberty, his aging slowed down to practically nothing.
Eventually the slow rate of aging caught up with them and they had to move to remote location so people wouldn’t get too suspicious. Ultimately they decided to move to the North Pole. Their magic healing allows them to be in super cold and not mind.
His mother’s aging wasn’t slow, but she was always in perfect, buoyant health. That is, until she hit menopause, when everything went back to normal and she quickly faded and passed peacefully in her sleep.
When they moved away from Duxbury, they went north to the deep woods outside Bangor Maine. There Kris continued to tinker and make things, his mother continued to sew magical garments (they didn’t possess magical powers, but they were so magnificent that people would come from far and wide to buy her clothing. She started a little shop in Bangor and hired a nice local girl to run the shop for her. This girl was immediately put under the spell of Kris and his magical mother – their glow infected all who came in contact with them (except the father – it made him darker and more bitter).
Actually. That’s a good idea. Their magic infects the people immediately around them – like within 15 feet or something. But it doesn’t make everyone happy – it just exacerbates their true inner selves. So whoever comes in contact with the Claus mother or son becomes a super, hyper version of their True Self. So when Jessica Burke walked into Mrs. Kringle’s Clothiers to try to get the job, she became immediately and totally besotted with Kris Kringle – and his mother. Always a strong, loving presence in the community, Jessica quickly became the mother to all children and animals, the songstress that enchanted, the businesswoman with whom all men wanted to… Do Business.
As soon as Jessica walked in, she got the job and she and Kris knew they’d be together. Kris’ mother was very happy – she loved Jessica. She hired Jessica to be the face of the Clothiers and she did very well for them all. Dignitaries, royalty, wives of important men from all over the world would stop by and get a special garment.
Jessica and Kris had a very short engagement – a mere 6 months. They has a lovely small ceremony in the woods at the height of the Autumn color, at the top of a waterfall, surrounded by just a few family members of Jessica’s and lots of woodland animals.
As soon as Jessica and Kris became intimate with one another, Jessica was gifted many of Kris’s magical powers. She began to age more slowly, was always the epitome of health and could do things… magical things…. (Need to write a magic handbook for these guys…)
They had a simply wonderful, romantic life together. They loved each other more than anything and spent as much time together as they could. Kris would run Jessica into town on their sleigh during winter, and they’d walk together in summer and spring. Kris would tinker and make things in the barn, Jessica would help mother in another. The three of them all got along splendidly, with rarely a negative thought between them.
But after about 17 years of Jessica being married and running the Clothiers, people started to talk. They all look so young… and the garments are so special, no one can figure out how the mother does many of the things she does… So the not-so-nice chatter about witchcraft began again. So they move again.
This time mother is much older, about 4 years away from menopause, but so far still in amazing (if not magically slowed) shape. These four years are just enough for mother to get Kris and Jessica into the swing of things in the North Pole.
They enlist the help of the magical North Pole inhabitants (elves, deer, polar bears, puffins). Mother gives up the clothing and starts helping Kris and Jess set up their first toy shops. She and Jess start the new family “business” of making toys to give to good girls and boys.
Kris starts delivering once a year, Dec 25th, further and further away each year. Mother makes him his magical red velvet suit (and one other – that will come into play when he goes on vacation) right before she hits menopause
When menopause hits, she starts to go downhill fast. All the rosey, magical health she’d had start to fade – with haste! – and she gets very cold and very sick very quickly.
Kris and Jess are by her side as she dies. She caresses his face and gives him her final gift: his new name. “My little shooting star. You are such a Santa for all the good girls and boys. You must continue your good, giving work” (..or something like that. I’m hungry and eloquence escapes me right now and am just trying to get this all down quickly before lunch.)
After momma leaves, Jess and Santa are a bit sad, but they take momma’s dying wish to heart and start to expand their gift giving.
And so Christmas was born; out of a mother’s love, a son’s devotion and a wife’s vision.