Fwd: Dear Santa

Begin forwarded message:

   Dear Santa


 Dear Santa,

 Hope you and Mrs. Clause and all the elves are doing fine.

 I don't know if you remember me, it's been a few years since I've written. Actually it's been over forty years, and I feel a little sheepish of getting in contact now.

Oh it's nothing you did, or said that was the reason that I stopped writing to you, it was something that happened within me. I stopped seeing Christmas for what it was, and started looking at it for what I could get or what it would cost.

 As a child I would see all the joy and happiness that the season brought. Grandpas, grandmas, aunts and uncles, family friends, all stopped by to celebrate Christmas with us. Christmas Trees and lights, decorations, presents, crackling fires and Christmas music filled the house with joy and excitement. 

Mom's Christmas baking and the roasted turkey with stuffing smothered in gravy was all my Dad talked about for weeks ahead of the big day. This all topped off with pumpkin pie, all served up on a table not big enough to seat everyone present.

 And as I got older I started looking at Christmas for what it could do for me. All the gifts I wanted, then needed because the other kids at school had all the cool name brands. 

Then years later with a family  I looked at the cost of this one day, over celebrated, commercial holiday. The bills that came in January and stayed till November. The house needing a complete cleaning to impress relatives that we saw but once a year. Lights needing to be hung, fireplace cleaned out, Christmas tree bought, extra groceries, gotta be here for this, gotta go there for that, on and on it went till I was so exhausted I couldn't wait for Christmas to be over. 

 I no longer saw Christmas for what it was because I was too busy looking at what it took to have it. All the costs, the wants, the gotta-haves and the work of celebrating a season that's lost it's reason.

I did not see Christmas again till I saw it through my granddaughters eyes last year. At three she  was excited for Christmas to come, it was all she talked about. Christmas with all the grandpas and grandmas, uncles and aunts and Nana. The decorations and lights, the tree with an "anel" on top. Cookies, and pretty wrapped presents, all to the tune of "Santa Clause is Coming to Town".
This excitement then spread through the house to my wife and I. We couldn't wait to see Christmas come.

 Year after year we just acted on tradition with no real enthusiasm for the coming of December the 25th. But not this year, Christmas was back! Brought by a little child, like the very first Christmas.

 So Santa this year all I  really want for Christmas is just to say thanks. Thanks for the chance to see Christmas again through the eyes of a child. I'm still doing all the things I did in years gone past, but instead of seeing all the things I have to  get done for Christmas, I'm seeing all the things I'm already blessed with. Family, old Christmas decorations, and long remembered traditions. All seen anew because of of the life of one little child.


Bob Niles