Release: OCTOBER 28, 2022
I once had a friend whose spouse was ardently opposed to the concept of Santa Claus. She claimed to be traumatized as a child when, after believing in St. Nick, she grew to learn he was a mere fantasy. She vowed to tell her children Santa was only a myth, and did.
That made me wonder how, in our current psycho-sensitive existence, some childhood beliefs might become relegated to the past or negated. That’s invariably already the case with the Man In The Moon, Easter Bunny and other castles in the sky.
In truth, fantasies of children can foster the fantastical realities of adults. Consider the absurdity of Dick Tracy’s futuristic wrist radio. Then, an impossible pipe dream. Now, people wear them daily in the form of an Apple watch. Without childhood dreams, adult reality might be bleak.
I once wrote about how a young child experienced the nightmare of their beloved pet dog dying. I heard of it later from the parent – a reader. It involved unseen belief and, amazingly, the USPS. Here’s the letter....
“It seems there is a beautiful soul working in the post office. Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The next day, our 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying about how much she missed her. She asked if we could write a letter to God so when Abbey got to heaven he would recognize her. She dictated these words:
‘Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her. Love, Meredith’
We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith hand addressed to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith put extra postage on it because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letterbox. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter. I told her that I thought he had.
Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith,’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, "When a Pet Dies." Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope, the picture of Abbey and this note:
‘Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. She isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and remember Abbey by.
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love. Love, God’ ”
Some people don’t believe in heaven. Many do. Some of those maintain there is a heaven but no animals can get in. All that waits to be seen. As for Santa, there are certainly legions of older nonbelievers. Fine. But, how sad to first deny that magical prospect to young children?
For as long as memory serves, children writing to Santa has been a holiday right-of-passage. It’s of what dreams are made. Perhaps it’s gotten even better thanks to a fun opportunity for those willing to go a step further.
One company mails an actual personalized letter to a child from Santa along with a copy of the “good list” including the child’s name. The key is for the child to write Santa a letter. The parent “mails” the letter (but actually saves it in the family scrap book). Then, before Christmas, the child receives the personalized letter from “Santa” from the North Pole.
Yes, it’s the stuff of dreams. But, imagine what positive fantasies such a thing might foster for the future. It’s worth checking out at: www.SantaLetters.org.
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