Christmas is upon us once again and I, for one, am thankful for the opportunity to experience another one. As always, I got a charge out of reading the hundreds of letters to Santa we received and are publishing this week. The wish lists are full of old standby toys and newer ones that I have never heard of. BB guns and GI Joes are still on a few lists as is Barbie and her various accoutrements like the playhouse and Corvette. Rubik’s Cubes seem to be making a comeback among the kids this year even if they have a tough time spelling Rubik. Then there is the new stuff. Shopkins, Stikbots, Zoomer Hedgiez and Hatchimals are among the many things I have never heard of. Several of the boys are asking Santa for Fangpyre Truck Ambush which sounds interesting. The girls tend toward Emoji pillows and Furreal Friends puppies. Hoverboards, despite the fire danger, are still big and My Little Pony and Rollerblades seem to be enjoying a resurgence. One kid asked for a cruise ship while another is wishing for 100 Dairy Queen Blizzards. Perhaps the most unusual gift craze this year is fake poop. Yes, you read that correctly. You could bless your child with real poop by giving them a puppy or by assigning them to any of our dedicated law enforcement officers for a week. The questions and advice Santa gets are also often priceless. Ellableu Leverett asks, ‘Are you smoochin’ Mrs. Claus?’ while Solomon Arnold advises, ‘Don’t get fat, man. You won’t be able to walk through doors!’ Mills Callaway apparently has an Elf on the Shelf because he wants to be one and thinks it would be fun. Countless parents, sick by now of hiding the elves, would beg to differ. Hailey N. is on a different wavelength. Her wish is for a foot massage and she promises to leave plenty of carrots for Rudolph. Deajah McDowell writes, ‘My little brother wants a little bear (not a real one). My big sister wants a new car (a real one).’ Anthony wants a dog to play with while Lexi wants Snacking Ivy. ‘She pees and poops,’ Lexi writes, so that must be a big thing nowadays. Noting she has been both nice and naughty, Serenity is seeking an iPhone 6 Plus and $100,000. If you are going to dream, why not dream big? ’I think you are real. Other people think you’re not real, I know,’ writes Jakiyah Jenkins. I think Santa is as real as you want him to be. I also believe we are all like Serenity in that we are a blend of naughty and nice. We are all imperfect and none of us is without sin. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus who remains the only person to have walked this Earth who was without sin. He was born to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life. Take time out this Christmas season to reflect on the reason for the season. Take time to give to others. If you can’t locate any fake poop, just give forgiveness. People are always worthy of and thankful for that gift. Do not hesitate to bestow it.
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