Another year of helping Santa answer his letters is over. This year was the least amount of letters we've ever received since I started volunteering over 15 years ago. Actually, last year Canada Post was on strike, so we didn't help. We talked to letter carriers who were on the picket line and helped Santa. They used their own cars to get them to the children's homes. Carol and I went in to the Post Office yesterday to see if there was any letters and yes there was one letter from our area. However, the child didn't put a return address on it, so we couldn't answer it. 😒
We had a lot of nice letters, drawings and cards from children. We also had many from adults who picked up the "free" stationery at Santa parades and Fly Over Canada. Some asked for nice things, others wanted to know what is the best app to find a date and others wanted some advice. We answer these too but we don't give advice. My favorite reply is: Always believe in the magic of Christmas!
With Canada Post in a deficit position, I hope they ask everyone to put a stamp on the letters to Santa. That would help with their financial problems and stop some of the "crank" letters we received.
I got an email last week from a long time friend. Steve is their son and Grayson is their first great grandson:
Yesterday we were all over at Steve & Betty’s for supper When we arrived little Grayson came running up to us, showing us his card from Santa! I immediately thought of you. He was just sooo excited!! That little note is a keeper!!
One of our volunteers, Carol, was a letter carrier in Ladner. She always remembers the time when she delivered the mail a little guy would come to the door and ask "is there a letter for me from Santa"? Every day he would sit at the window waiting for her to come to the door. One day when she was sorting her mail, she saw one from the North Pole. She approached the house and watched as the little boy jumped up and down, opened the letter and thanked her for delivering it. She has volunteered every year since then and Carol and I have become great friends! She always tells the new volunteers that story. That's why we do it and I hope any letters I helped with made a child's day too.
Until next year......
