Dear Santa

 

Not the Canada Post volunteers!

This year again, I answered Letters to Santa.  Our letter volumes are down as well as the volunteers.  Most Canada Post buildings will not allow volunteers.  We are fortunate in Cloverdale as there is a very large depot complete with training rooms.  We are allowed to go in the training rooms with very specific COVID rules.  Our desks are 6 feet apart and it's so nice to get together every year.  Two of our volunteers are now sick, not with COVID but a terrible colds.  They haven't been in the same room at the same time so they didn't get it at the post office.

We've been asked not to post letters we receive on social media.  We didn't received any letters from Taiwan this year but many from Japan.  We answered many local letters and they were touching.  I didn't get any "greedy" children with huge requests with expensive gifts.  We did get children concerned about COVID and climate change.  One girl from North Vancouver wanted every child who was affected with the floods in Abbotsford to get lots of toys.  Others wanted people to be housed, fed and cured of many diseases.  It's heartwarming to read some of the letters.  Others were just a scribble with no return address.  It's always sad when someone takes the time to write but doesn't put a return address.  

Yesterday when doing letters at home, I got a letter from a little girl in Vancouver and another very nicely written letter in the envelope that was from her cat.  The printing was from the same person.  Knowing how Lexie loves her cat, I sent the cat a letter from Santa.  On the bottom of the letter, I put: "I hope you have a purrfect Christmas"!   I hope Santa brings that cat all the toys and food he asked for!  

We try to answer questions from children.  When they don't have a question here are two of my favorite responses:

• Always believe in the magic of Christmas
• Oh now exciting it is as Christmas is so close

Looking forward to next year!