Unlocking the Magic: My Letter to Santa
It’s official. After a day of contemplation, I’ve decided—I am writing a letter to Santa. This year, my wife gifted me “Christmas is Coming! An Advent Book” by Katie Hickey, and we’re going all out for Advent. Winter Lego Advent, Lego Christmas tree Advent, Christmas Vacation-themed Advent calendar, and, of course, the Advent book. I revel in the magic behind each door, wondering what surprise awaits. When I opened the Advent book to December 1, I found an invitation to write a letter to Santa. The book started with, “Santa Claus loves to receive letters every year from kids like you.” My initial thought? “Oh, this is for kids; I’ll skip this one.” Why did I discard the invitation without considering it? How often do we overlook opportunities without giving them a chance?
Many years ago, I attended a keynote by the hilarious Craig Zablocki. He asked the audience how many could sing; a few hands went up. “What about drawing? Who can draw?” he inquired. Even fewer hands were raised. Then he posed a question that gave us all pause: “When I ask a room of kindergarteners, guess how many hands go up? Yep. All of them.” When do we stop raising our hands? At what point do we lose the ability to sing, draw, create, play? Craig’s point was that we can all sing and draw; there’s no prerequisite of being professional or skilled. When do we stop giving ourselves permission?
One of the best compliments I ever received came from a 6-year-old neighbor. Playing on our neighborhood playground, he looked at me, puzzled, and asked, “Molly, are you a kid?” “Heck yeah, I am!” I exclaimed. “But you’re so big,” he said. Yes, I am a kid, and yes, I am grown. Could we grant ourselves permission to play? To let the inner kid in all of us sing out loud, dance, dress up, draw, or be goofy? What would be possible if we began to sing, dance, draw, and delight? What if we let the kid inside out?
I don’t know why I so quickly pushed aside the opportunity to write Santa a letter. When is the last time you were given an opportunity to ask for what you want? With no limits? What would come out if you did? This holiday season, I’m inviting you to write Santa a letter. Go big. Ask for what you really want, what would delight you. Maybe it’s a friend, a lover, a new home, travel, a train set, or maybe you are still dreaming of a Red Rider BB gun. In Oprah style, I will share one thing I know for sure: I would love to read your letter, to hear your heart’s desire. What is in your heart this Christmas?
A childhood friend did this exercise many years ago, and it made such an impact on me. She wrote a letter to Santa asking for a partner. Alone for several years and deeply longing for love, she published her letter in the local paper. One responder ended up being her husband within a year. The power of making a request and asking for what you want is beyond what we can imagine. Kids have no problem with this; just take one to the grocery store, and you will experience a marathon of “Can I have…”
Here goes:
Santa,
I haven’t felt the magic of writing to you in decades. I feel it in the season, in the music, and the lights, but I’ve missed out on this special tradition of giving my dreams a voice. This year, I’m coming back. I’m coming back to you, to me, and to listening to my heart. I’d love to share my wish list with you.
The dream is the same as it’s always been: to write and publish. I want this to be my contribution to the world. I want to add to the collection of books, inspire, encourage, and mostly connect. I want to share what I’ve learned, start conversations, and uplift. And yes, I have been doing this for years. I’ve published before and continue to write. There are finished books already written and never shared. What I want this year is to go big. I want to really put myself out there and extend my reach. I want to be afraid and do it anyway. I want to share, share, share, and keep sharing. I want to speak on a big stage. I want to scare the heck out of myself with my big dreams and give them everything I’ve got. I want to go for it, no more holding back.
Truth, I’ve been scared. I’ve held back because if I don’t go for it, I can’t fail. I get to keep the dream of becoming a published author if I don’t go for it. And, I also never get the dream realized. I’m ready to put it on the line. I’m ready to submit my work and be open to whatever happens. I don’t want to end my life with the magic still inside. I want to share it all out, shout it out, and delight in doing it. I know I’m not for everyone—I’ve certainly already received that feedback. And, there are some I can profoundly impact and help. I’ve been guided, inspired, and encouraged by so many authors before me. I know there are some just starting the path I’ve been walking that I can assist—the brokenhearted, the lonely, the depressed, the suicidal, the queer folks, the shy, scared, lost, and most definitely the stuck. I’ve been all of those and found my way out, up, and beyond. I want to walk alongside and experience the magic of a soul waking up to itself. More than anything this year, I want to help others find and express their magic.
Whatever you can do, I’d be grateful. Love, Molly
What’s in your heart this year? What’s in your letter to Santa? What’s the harm in asking? And, let’s get these out in the world. Let’s light up social media with heart’s desires, dreams, longings, and our deepest wishes. I can imagine waking up and scrolling through hundreds of letters to Santa. Can you?
