After we opened the presents, it was time.  And Sophie handled the news like a trooper, although I think that she’ll always believe in Santa deep down inside.

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Sophie’s 2013 letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

I hope you have a lovely Christmas. I have a lot of questions and hope you respond.

(1) Do you know/friends with the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, Sandman and Jack Frost?
(2) And is there such a thing as the Polar Express?
(3) When will I see you?
(4) Do you get presents on Christmas?

Your fantasy-real-loving child,
Sophie

P.S. Please write back.

Santa’s 2013 response to Sophie

Dear Sophie,

Thank you very much for your letter and for the sweet Christmas wishes.  You are a very thoughtful girl.

Here are the answers to your questions. I am going to respond quickly, as I must get back on my sleigh to visit all of the other children around the world!

(1) I do know the Tooth Fairy, the Easter bunny, the Sandman and Jack Frost. I do not know them well, however, so I wouldn’t say we’re friends. We only convene for brief moments when a child happens to dream about us hanging out together. Otherwise, we never see each other. The Easter bunny is frankly a little goofy (those ears!), the Sandman means well but is very messy and Jack Frost is too cold, even for me.  I really like the Tooth Fairy, though. She’s very fun and she flies so quickly – like the speed of light! I wish I had wings like her, because if I did I’d be able to make my Christmas deliveries so much faster and still have time to celebrate the holiday with my family at the North Pole. But since I don’t have wings like the Tooth Fairy and need to rely on the reindeer, my family and I wait until the day after Christmas for our festivities.

(2) The Polar Express, and your friends the Tooth Fairy, the Easter bunny, the Sandman and Jack Frost are all part of your vivid imagination.  I’m part of your imagination, too.  Every child imagines us differently. For example, some kids might picture me skinnier, taller or much younger than how you imagine me.  Some kids probably think it’s weird for Santa to have a beard!  For other kids, my skin might be a different color than yours.  For yet other children, I might be a woman. And depending on where the children live, I may speak English, Italian, Russian, Swahili, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, French or any one of hundreds of other languages.  In some kids’ imaginations I wear a green outfit and a very pointy hat.  And did you know that some children believe that Santa swims with dolphins?

(3) You can see me whenever you want – just think of me and I will appear.  And when you see me in your mind’s eye, I will always make you smile.

(4) I do get some presents on Christmas.  My favorite presents are happy children.  But Mrs. Claus, my own kids and the elves always make special things for me.  I get lots of handmade sweaters and socks, and snow globes.  Do you like snow globes?

Even though I only live in your amazing imagination and am not real, I hope you realize how important you are to me.  Please continue to write to me until you don’t think it’s cool to write to me anymore. Because when you write to me, you remind everyone what a gift it is to be a child full of dreams, wonder and love.  You keep my spirit alive – not just for you, but for your family who loves you and all the young kids around the world who don’t yet realize that I’m make-believe.

Your beautiful imagination, Sophie, is one of my favorite things about you.  Oh, and your cookies, too!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, my friend.  See you next year.

Love,
SANTA (aka Mom)

P.S. Now that you know I’m a figment of your imagination, please promise to keep it a secret between us.  There are many children who believe I’m real and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for them.  Thank you, Sophie.