Leave it to kids to show us the way.
Letters to Santa shared with Global News reveal that not only is Christmas spirit very much alive, but so too are resilience, determination and humour.
For the past few years, Global Edmonton has invited viewers to send a copy of their child’s letter to Santa. Reading these letters on air lets us showcase Christmas through the eyes of a child.
Of course this year’s letters would be different. But perhaps unexpected: the lessons contained within.
READ MORE: Global Edmonton anchors read your kids’ letters to Santa, the original
Through their letters, these kids model how to maintain normalcy in the face of uncertainty. They are finding balance amid the chaos of the past year.
One girl asks for the pandemic to end and in the next sentence requests a pink suitcase.
Another child asks for a lightsaber and is clear about this: “And I want it to be a real one.” A dream of fighting evil – but with a practical plan.
READ MORE: 2019 Dear Santa: Global News reads letters from your kids, 2019 edition
The letters remind us to think of others.
“I’m not asking for much this year, just health and happiness,” writes one child.
“My Mom works in a care home and it makes me so sad they can’t see their families this year. Please watch and keep them healthy.”
Perspective comes from reading the letter of a young girl who lost her mom two years ago, long before COVID-19.
For Christmas, she wants her mom.
Just as kids are aware of the disarray around them, they’re also focusing on what they can control. They ask Santa if any elves have COVID. They wonder, with Santa needing to wear a mask and all, what kind of treat they could safely leave for him on Christmas Eve. They’re working out a way to both follow health protocols and make Santa feel welcome.
READ MORE: 2018’s Global News anchors read Christmas letters from kids
The dad who shared a letter from years past, first extracting a promise that we would not embarrass his now-adult son, is no different than the mom who confirmed that yes, “I would like a citin. It will be a live citin” does indeed mean her son wants a real live kitten this Christmas.
These parents are much like the kids: discovering magic in the small moments and honouring the huge capacity of the human heart to hold on to love and goodwill in the face of so much tragedy and chaos.
And that’s the real gift this year: Finding that childlike wonder and imagination are very much intact.
The best proof yet that there’s no match for Christmas magic.
Comments