DEAR SANTA,

I know you probably don’t get very many letters from grown ups but if you have any more room on your list, I was hoping you could slip a few extra gifts into your magical bag this year. You see Santa, on Christmas morning my children will wake up even earlier than usual and run into the living room. Their little hearts will flutter with anticipation. Underneath a glittering tree will be a dozen shiny new toys awaiting two very eager little boys. I can recall being a child myself on Christmas morning and the excitement that awaited as my brothers and I bounded down the stairs at 4 a.m. to see what was under our tree. The house was still quiet and an enchanted feeling hung in the air as we opened all of the gifts you had so thoughtfully chose for us. We made sure to check that the milk and cookies were gone and you had consumed enough fuel to continue on with your flight. Then, we carefully crept up the staircase and drifted back to sleep until our parents cracked open our door a few hours later.

I know you are terribly busy this time of year making sure your sleigh is top notch and everything is ready for your annual journey around the world. But if you don’t mind, I was hoping to add a few extra wishes for my children this year. These presents will be difficult to wrap and won’t come with a big red bow. They are gifts that can’t be found in a store or ordered off of Amazon. They can only be given and received with the heart.

First of all, I ask that you give my kids the precious gift of innocence. As a mother, my greatest wish is to figure out a way to slow down the sneaky thief of time. If you have some sort of moment freezing magic dust to sprinkle over my sleeping babes it would certainly help the condition of my heart. Childhood is filled with simple days and very little worry. Somewhere along the rocky path we take towards adulthood, we tend to lose those innocent feelings and even..dare I say it..stop believing in the magic of this beautiful season. We replace the genuine delight of our youth with hectic, stressful routines and the joy we once felt during the holidays becomes a faded memory. Let our children be little as long as they can and help us to cherish this short time in their lives by making Christmas extraordinary for them.

My second wish is the gift of kindness. Santa, I’m sure you’ve noticed quite a change in the world you are used to seeing as you look down from your snowy perch at the North Pole. It saddens you that the most peaceful time of year has grown into a season of very little peace. May my children know that while it’s truly wonderful to receive on Christmas, it’s even more meaningful to give the gift of kindness away. Help them to be the warmth to someone’s cold heart. Let them be the candle that lights a thousand more. Show them that caring for others should be a top priority. We can change the world for someone with just one kind deed.

And lastly Santa, could you give my children the gift of imagination? I vividly remember as a child dreaming of what it would be like to explore your magic workshop or eat cookies right out of the oven prepared by Mrs. Claus herself . A child’s imagination knows no limits. Perhaps the most powerful tool in the world, it can transform them into anything or anyone their heart desires. I hope they turn into treasure hunting pirates, star chasing astronauts, and horse riding cowboys. I hope they jump in mud puddles, climb trees, swim in the ocean, and go on lots of adventures. I hope they stand underneath the vast sky and realize what a big world we live in but what an impact they can make. The spirit of Christmas can be found in the heart of a child. I’m hopeful that my kids never stop searching the skies for you on Christmas Eve. Even after all these years, I still do.

Love,

A Mom Who Still Believes