Dear Santa . . .

My friend, Mary Ricketson, graciously granted me permission to share her Christmas article that appeared in her monthly column, "Woman to Woman," in December 2024, in the Cherokee Scout, Murphy, NC. Thank you, Mary. I echo your sentiments.

Dear Santa Claus,

All I want for Christmas is love. I want people to join hands, tell their different thoughts, honor different ways, different religions, customs, languages, color and size. Santa, make a way for people to share the world so that it’s good for all of us.

Help us be literate, learn from the past and plan for the future. We can believe in science, build on what humans have learned for centuries.

We can be safe, hold hands crossing the street, navigating the world, cooperating in trade, and governing our countries with fairness and compassion.

Please sprinkle us all with trust. Make telling the truth come natural, so we believe each other. We might help each other more, and trust. If it’s safe to trust, we will trust.

I want to live with trees, flowers, grass, creeks, lakes and oceans, sun, moon and stars, wind, rain and stillness, campfires, wood stoves and fires of adventure and brilliant ideas.

I still believe that people are really good at heart (Anne Frank, 1944). Santa, let it be true today. And please, Santa, I want love without violence, have peace on earth, and remember, God bless us everyone (Charles Dickens 1843).

And Santa, I’ve cleaned the chimney for you.  Please bring chocolate. I’ve tried to be good this year.

Merry Christmas, Blessed Solstice, Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa everyone.

* * *

Mary Ricketson makes her home in Cherokee County. She is a licensed clinical mental health

counselor in private practice in Murphy. She has a special interest in women’s issues.  Copyright 2024

Published December 2024, Cherokee Scout, Murphy NC. Woman to Woman appears monthly.

#love #honor #compassion

Image: Screenshot of Mary’s article