Recently, Britten did not want to go to the camp activity arranged for her that day. She asked if she could stay home, and I had someone check on her on and off throughout the day. The person looking in on Britten needed to go help her mother and Britten wanted to stay at home and continue working on her art project. I said it was fine if she stayed home. Her dad would be home in an hour. Britten got on the phone and repeated all the rules and promised to keep them.

Britten later called in a panic saying she was so sorry she had broken the rules and she knew that meant she could not stay alone again for a month (one of her most valued activities) but that it was an emergency! There were no gifts for Santa under the tree and no one should be left out of Christmas! I understood, but wondered how she broke the rules.

“Mom, I made a gift for Santa and when the mailman came I chased him down the street and told him he must get this letter and gift to Santa.”

The postman promised to get this to the North Pole on time.

Britten said, “Mom, Christmas is about giving, and if I had to lose staying home for one month it is worth it! But I am in the house and I will stay here until Dad gets home.”

Christmas morning Britten opened the door and found on the doorstep a letter and two gifts she had asked for in the letter. All her questions were answered, she was thanked for the special gift to Santa and told to keep riding the horse that scared her and that Santa loved her very much. The postman had gone home, written the letter and purchased the two gifts.

For Britten, the world is a beautiful, magical and generous place, as it has been for me. I hope your Christmas brought you all that Britten found that morning.

Angela Neilson

Salt Lake City