Dear Santa

article by Meredith McKinnie

Do kids still write and mail letters to Santa? Do they rely on whispers exchanged on his lap? Can we text Santa now? With toddlers, these issues matter to me again. I remember composing letters to Santa as a kid. Mother was the keeper of all things and found one the other day. I had asked for a purple suede skirt. I smiled when I read it. The penmanship was loopy and feminine. I took extra care in the presentation. I figured Santa received so many letters that mine needed to stand out. And I got that electric purple suede skirt. It grazed my kneecaps and was probably more appropriate on a 30-year-old woman than a teenaged girl, but I felt powerful in that skirt. Santa made sure the skirt belonged to me because I wrote beautiful letters. Santa and I understood each other.

My daughter Wilder is learning to write. Each day after school we trace her name on her “homework.” She awkwardly holds the pen between her middle and forefinger, sloppily mimicking each letter with intense concentration. After she completes each line she draws her teacher a little picture in the corner of the paper, more confident in her artistic abilities than I ever was. Her friend Caroline sends her little pictures in the mail with drawings of the two of them in our backyard tossing acorns to squirrels. She’ll write little messages in her own 4-year-old penmanship, emphatically lined and precise. Wilder squeals when she gets mail. It warms my heart as I am a longtime advocate of the handwritten note. So, this year I am going to encourage Wilder to write a letter to Santa. I wonder what she’ll say.

Family traditions resonate during the holiday season. It’s when we remember. It’s when we gather. It’s when we share with one another. The world slows down for that delightful week between Christmas and New Year’s and we all take a well-deserved rest, if we’re so fortunate. As a parent, the responsibility of establishing those traditions I hold so dear weighs heavy. I’ve given up trying to make moments that will be remembered. We have no control over that. Moments lodge themselves in our brains regardless of our intention. But I do feel compelled to keep existing traditions going. I’ve bought holiday paper and a fancy pen for composing. I’ll start by asking what she wants to say to Santa and help her write it. I think brevity is key with a preschooler. I hope she asks for something indicative of her lovable personality, that will remind her of her childhood. The last time I mentioned Christmas she voiced a desire for a merry-go-round. Her father and I exchanged eyebrow raises and buried our heads in our soup. Hopefully I can veer her in another direction. I can’t have Santa ignoring her first letter. Their relationship is too important.

I will encourage a friendly greeting and proper introduction. Don’t launch right into the asking part. Inquire about his health and be sure to say how grateful you are that he and the elves have been working hard all year. Establish a rapport. I want my daughter to be a believer. I want her to hope and dream and love beyond what she can touch or see. Santa is appealing not just because he brings the presents, but because he is magic. And kids need enchantment. I know some parents waffle about establishing a belief in Santa, but I always land on the side of the magical. My Christmas wish is that my girls fall in love with Santa and the Christmas season. 

BayouLife Readers, I wish all of you a little magic this holiday season.