DEAR SANTA, By Kathryne Kennedy

Dear Santa,

Well, I suppose it’s been a long time since I’ve written you. But our theme for this month on our Casablanca blog is what I would like under my tree, so I figured, who better to ask than dear old Saint Nick?

Gosh, how old was I when I last sent you a letter? Nine? Ten? I can’t imagine what I asked for. Maybe a doll. Maybe roller skates. I remember getting a pair about that age and loving them. When I was young, it was a wonderful time of egocentricity, where the world only revolved around my own wants and needs. I couldn’t really comprehend the Big Wide World, nor did I truly have much awareness of it beyond my own sheltered life. I was blessed with a great childhood. No one in my family got sick. No one close to me had died. The only thing I lacked was a bit more entertainment, so I imagine my list to you was comprised of only those things.

But I’m a big girl now. So I’m afraid that what I want under my tree is going to be difficult for you. Maybe impossible. But it’s a short list, so see what you can do:

A package of World Peace. If you can’t manage it the whole year, then I would settle for Christmas day.

A box of Healing. You know, kinda like Pandora’s box, but good stuff coming out of it instead of bad. Maybe a cure for Cancer. For Diabetes. For Epilepsy. For Aids. I tell you what, although I have a personal preference, you can pick. I’ll take any one you’d like to tackle.

A basket of Answers. Okay, I know, this one may sound strange. But I figure if I had some answers, we could solve a lot of problems. Like, the economy. Which means people are out of work. Which means children go hungry. So, maybe with a few answers, we can fix all those things. And again, I’ll settle for just one Big Answer. You get to pick.

I think there’s a reason why I haven’t written you for years. My list just keeps getting harder to fill. It was so much simpler when I was a child. But you know what? I still believe in you, in the concept of Christmas and the magic it can bring. So I’ll be looking under my tree this year for a mysterious box. Or package. Or basket.

And if you can’t quite manage it this year, I’ll be waiting for next.

With Hope and Love,

Kathryne