Writing Santa letters is something that my children looked forward to every year. Now my grandchildren look forward to it as well. When we receive our letters from Santa in return, they all come over, we sit in from of the fireplace with cookies and hot coacoa, and we each read our letters. We talk about Christmas and tell each other stories. We even talk about what we got for last years Christmas. It is about three or four hours with no television or Ipod. We turn off our cell phones and put away the music. We just sit and talk until finally, the only ones left awake are the adults sitting in front of the fire and talking about our old house and Christmas when they were kids. It is the one night out of the year when we all get together, just sit, and talk.

Unfortunately, there was some bad news this year. There was a member of my church who dropped by with a small bag with letters to Santa Clause from children here in our town that go to our church. With the kids put to bed, we sat down and began to read. Here is what we found.

From Denise: Dear Santa. I do not want very much this year because Momma says that the cession is also at the North Pole and that you do not have much to give. She says that you will bring one gift only and that I should ask just for one toy. Instead of a toy, could you help my momma find a good job like the one she had. She used to smile and liked to go to work. Now she is sad all the time and she is always tired. She says she has to work twice as hard for half the pay. You can keep my toy and help my momma. I love you.

Dear Santa Clause, My name is Billy and I have been a very good boy this year. I do not want a toy. I want my daddy to come home from that place where he is for Christmas. He is in the army and mom says he has to stay there so we can be free. Please let him be okay and let him come home. Mom says if he gets shot in the leg that he can come home but I do not want him to get shot anywhere so if you was going to shoot him so he can come home then never mind.
If my dad cannot come home then maybe you could take me and my mom to go see him.

Do what you can and I will still be a good boy even if you can't
Love and freedom

Dear Santa,
Please help my daddy. He is taking on drugs and he does not know how to stop. He was crying and he said he is at his whips end. Can you please make my daddy the man my momma married? She says he is not the same man but I know that he is because I seen the picture. I want him to live with us again. I will be a good boy and will do my homework if you can help me.

Love Twan
PS My name is Darrell but my friends call me twan. When you came last year, I was Darrell.

To Santa Clause
Santa, I want to have some money so I can help mommy pay the bills. I do not know how much it is but it is for the electric and the heat. If you cannot give me money, I would like some food. Just the kind of food that my momma can cook in the kitchen because she is a good cook but there is nothing to cook. My sister cannot write to you yet but she needs some diapers too. Her name is Anita and I am Sam. We love you.
These were just a few of the letters that the children in our church wrote. The thing that bothers me is that we go to church with them and we call them our friends but it takes something like this to realize that they need someone to reach out to them.