Every Christmas morning my wife and I leave a personal letter from Santa to my sons. Since my youngest son is coming of age we fear that this may be the last year he believes in Santa. It's about time that he knows the truth.  So instead of pulling him aside and breaking the news to him before going into Middle School, we decided we'd leave a special Christmas note for the boys this year explaining how real Santa really is.

Here's a slightly edited version of the note below.  From all of us at Pencilstorm, a Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Dear Ozello Boys:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

You’ve had a wonderful year and you boys never cease to amaze me with how kind and loving you are.

You’ve both been doing great at school, at sports, but most importantly have shown love and kindness to everyone. It’s beautiful to watch you grow and become the men you’re going to be! You have strong compassion for others and are such a great friends.

Now that you boys are older, I’d like to address a question that every child your age is asking.

I am real?

Yes I am.

I am as real as the love your parents have for you because that’s what I am. Santa means love and it’s been the magical way that your parents have shown you how much they care about you. Mom and Dad love you immensely and it’s been them all these years who have listened to your heart’s desires and searched high and low for the special gifts that you’ve really, really wanted. It’s been Mom and Dad who work tirelessly to wrap your presents and sneak them under the tree on Christmas Eve after you’ve gone to bed. (Okay, some years it’s been mostly Mom.) It’s been Mom and Dad who write these notes every year and eat the cookies and carrots.

Why do they do this? Why have they worked so hard to keep up this illusion? It’s simple. To see your magical smiles of pure joy when you wake up on Christmas morning and open up your gifts, especially the ones that you didn’t even realize you wanted. They do it because they love you with their whole heart.

So let’s all make a deal. Now that we’ve told you the “secret of Santa,” Mom and Dad will still continue showing you love, especially on Christmas, if you promise to continue growing into the awesome, amazing, loving, caring and beautiful boys that you are destined to be. Deal?  I don’t think it will be very hard for any of us to keep up our end of the bargain. Together, we'll treat every day like it's Christmas and keep the magic of Santa alive forever.

Love,

Santa

Wal Ozello is  a science fiction techno-thriller novelist and the author of Assignment 1989: The Time Travel Wars  and Revolution 1990. He's a resident of Upper Arlington, Ohio and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.