A Very Merry Christmas from all the Venables and the Smith Boys too!

This is my family – Deb V

Letter From Santa

Deborah Venable

12/15/02

Here are some musings about the Season. Imagine with me if you will, you work for the U.S. Postal Service, behind the scenes, perhaps in a capacity that would allow you access to the many bags of mail received this time of year – written with youthful fingers wrapped around too big of a pencil – addressed in bold, deliberate letters spelling out:

To Santa Claus

The North Pole

As you dump the latest batch of letters into the storage bin, one particular envelope catches your eye. The writing is slightly more sophisticated – still printed, but with an extra flair not usually present in these letters. That’s not why it caught your eye, though. The return address is one line: The North Pole. But the letter is addressed:

Jesus Christ

c/o God

Heaven

The letter is not sealed, so you decide to read it.

Dear Jesus,

I am writing to thank you for everything you have done for me. Your birth triggered my own birth some years later; your life gave mine meaning all these years, and your death made it possible for my spirit to survive for an eternity. I am forever grateful that I have been chosen to represent your love and your spirit of giving for all the world’s children.

The children. How very wonderful they are, Jesus! You should read some of their letters. Some of them, of course, exhibit selfishness – but that doesn’t matter to me because the important thing is that they believe in me! If they didn’t believe, they wouldn’t ask me for their hearts’ desires, and they do. Some of the things they ask for are impossible, but they believe in the impossible – they think that anything is possible. That is what makes them wonderful, don’t you think? Ah, some of their lists can be long ones indeed, but they are thoughtful – always thoughtful. And some of their requests are absolutely heartbreaking!

Like the little six year-old-boy, barely old enough to write the words, who asked me to please keep his mommy and daddy from getting a “devors,” (he didn’t know how to spell it, but I knew what he meant). He said that was all he wanted for Christmas, and to throw away the list he had sent the week before. I cried over that one.

Then there was a little eight-year-old girl who asked me simply to bring her mother a whole bunch of Kleenex tissues, because her daddy had been sick for a long time and just died, so she knew her mom would need them – and she would too. I didn’t have enough tissues on hand for myself after reading that letter, Jesus!

I get a lot of requests for gifts for other people – moms and dads, brothers and sisters, friends and strangers – some even for the leaders of their countries. If the big folks would just listen to some of these youngsters, a lot of the world’s problems could be solved.

But they write to me, and I listen. I may not be able to give them all they ask for, but I try to give them hope that they will be happy anyway. Some of their parents block that hope by telling them I don’t exist. I don’t know why they do that; do you, Jesus? I guess it’s a problem we both have.

I do not understand why we are a threat to anyone, but I don’t fault Your Father for giving everybody the free will to decide what he chooses to believe. I think that is probably one of the wisest things He did when He created humans. They would certainly not be the wonderful creatures that they are without that. The good ones would not shine quite as brightly, and none of the bad ones could ever be changed. Life would not be as valuable without freedom.

In closing, I just want to thank you again for all your teachings and for instilling so much good will in men, especially at this time of year. Those who choose to believe in us appreciate the very best in life. Those who don’t probably won’t ever know what they are missing while they are on the earth. I guess that is just how it is.

Your Faithful Servant,

St. Nick (AKA Santa Clause, Chris Cringle, etc.)

You carefully fold the letter and place it back in the envelope – the one addressed to Heaven. Then you close your eyes, bow your head, and send it on its way. Or not. You are thankful that you have the choice though.

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