The three phases of man

Whatever phase of man you find yourself in this Christmas, I wish you a very happy one. What are the three phases of man?

He believes in Santa Claus
He does not believe in Santa Claus
He is Santa Claus

When we are very small, the world is all to discover. Christmas wrapping paper is a thing of astonishing beauty that can keep us occupied for the better part of a day. Nothing is thoroughly known until we have tried to eat it. Our parents, those omniscient, all-powerful, god-like giants, tell us that Santa Claus has brought us gifts and they are under the Christmas tree. The world is full of magic, wonder, trust and unlimited possibilities.
As time goes by, the laboratory of life does its work. We first begin to doubt that such a fat man can get down the chimney. Then we doubt that there is a fat man at all. And then our parents let us in on the secret: it was only for fun. You enjoyed it, didn’t you? The world becomes a much smaller place, ruled by laws of nature and money. There is no magic, and the possibilities are limited.
Many years go by. Many things happen to us and we happen to many things. We know great happiness and great disappointment, love found and love lost, ambitious pride and deep despair. And then we wake up one morning and we are grateful for this life of ours, we believe in the magic that lies just beneath the surface of everything we see. We are awed by the beauty of the world and the unknowable principle that created it. We trust in its life-renewing love. It is a world of infinite possibilities again and we are its ultimate expression.