I’m a Stealth Mama. This is the Tale of the Santa Letter.
I confess, I read my son’s letter to Santa today. He’s 12 and he fully believes in the spirit of Christmas. He helped my younger son write a letter and then they both went and put them in the mailbox and flipped up the red metal flag.
Now, I’m a sentimental mom. I cannot stand by and let the postman take my kids’ precious letters to the North Pole abyss, and so, like the stealthy, tricky woman I am, I stole out to the mailbox when no one was looking, replaced the letters with Netflix movies that needed to be returned, and quickly hurried back inside with my treasures. And treasures they are. They’ll be tucked away for the kids to read again one day, for their husbands and wives to ooooh and ahhhh over, and for us to get teary over when we remember how sweet and innocent they were.
My 7 year old’s letter was precious:
Dear Cris Cringle (his spelling, not mine
),
Are you grumpy for Christmas? I hope your elves are watching hard…
He goes on to ask for toys he completely made up and signs the letter, ‘Your Friend, Caleb”.
It was my 12 year old’s letter, though, that choked me up. He wrote it because his little brother insisted they do it together. When he takes on a task, he gives it his all. Here’s an excerpt:
Santa,
This year I’m going to ask for the hardest thing you can give me.
~A cure for Celiac
and
~A girlfriend, and a first kiss, too
He signed it, sealed it, and after our 7 year old was done and they’d gone down to the mailbox, they both went back to business as usual. The letter wasn’t forgotten, though. It was as if my son putting his wish down on paper and sending it out into the universe gave it a real shot of coming true. He’s been having a rough time of late, what with the abundance of holiday treats; his dietary restrictions make this time of year torture. Add to that his hormonally charged age and it’s no wonder he’s filled with angst..and hope for a better future. It’s on his mind a lot.
The simple fact that he wrote this request in a letter, that he wishes and hopes that one day there will be a cure for his disease, shows how deeply he feels his pain. But on the flip side, right up there with a cure for Celiac, is the romance. He wants to feel connected to someone, to feel that spark of attraction as only a teenager can, to experience that first kiss. He’s still my baby (I know he always will be–my oldest just turned 17 and he’s still my baby), but he’s growing up. And he’s a romantic and a dreamer and I love that about him. I love that about all my children (oldest son is making a jewelry box for his girlfriend!), and it’s why I infuse these characteristics into my fictional characters, as well. Having a dream, even if it’s one that will be hard won (or never won), makes the journey so meaningful. I just pray that my son’s wish comes true one day. (We’re praying for a cure for type 1 diabetes, too, as we’re afflicted with that, as well). No small prayers in our family!
There’s something so innocent about letters to Santa. When no one is going to read them, kids reveal a little truth about themselves. It’s the core of who they are, and it’s a blessing to see into their souls in this way, even if you have to use well-intended and innocent subterfuge to do it.
Are you a Stealth Mama? What do you do with letters to Santa?
Misa can often be found Chasing Heroes. Be sure to stop by and visit today (and every day until Christmas) at Chasing Heroes. It’s day 4 of the 12 Heroes of Christmas, gifts every day, and a killer gift on Christmas Eve. Today there’s an interview with none other than Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
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What a wonderful post. I’m teary-eyed just reading it. I hope your son gets both his wishes this year.
Merry Christmas!
Your post brought back wonderful memories. I hope your sons receive everything they asked for.
Barbara Edwards
Thank you to both of you, Barbara and Keena. Merry Christmas to you, too!
Misa, this made me well up. Beautiful. Merry Christmas, and I think that I’ll also ask Santa for a cure for Celiac…just to add a little power to the wish.
The power of prayer is huge. Thank you, CT!!
Hi Misa,
Thank you for sharing, what a great mom you are! And, I pray your son’s wish comes true as well. Below I’m adding a flourless recipe. It’s mega simple and totally yummy! I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas, and may 2010 be magical! *Hugs*
Diana Cosby
Romance Edged With Danger
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 inch round cheesecake pan with Pam.
Melt chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water,
stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl until pale yellow. Mix in chocolate mixture.
Using electric mixer, beat whites in another bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold into
chocolate mixture.
Pour batter into prepared cheesecake pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center
comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. *It usually
takes me almost twice as long.
Cool completely in pan on rack. Run small sharp knife around sides of pan to
loosen cake. Turn cake out onto platter and cool. (Can be prepared 8 hours
ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)
***Note: I top the bittersweet chocolate cake with a mixture of 1 shot of raspberry liqueur pureed with 1-1/2 cups raspberries and 1 cup of sugar. I strain the mixture twice to remove the seeds.
Ahhh, so sweet. So real. That should spark a book idea! So glad you saved those.
Hmmm, a book idea. The wheels are spinning. =)
Oh, Diana, YUM!!! I am trying this pronto. I can hear my son cheering already! Thank you.
I was a stealth mom, and now I’m a stealth Nana. I help my younger grandkids write their letters, struggling to spell the words and know that they can’t be too selfish and ask for a lot. My granddaughter added her letter a request for a cousin who’s mother is single and struggling. I found that endearing.
Okay, your kid made me cry. And I’m not a crier!
I AM a crier, and I balled.
I feel your son’s pain. I too have celiac and it is not fun.
Here is my gluten-free flour recipe, which I have used successfully in cookies, cornbread, waffles and pancakes. I haven’t tried it in cakes or breads yet though.
Combine 1 1/2 cups rice flour, 1/2 cup teff flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca flour and 1 tsp xanthan gum. If you can’t find these ingredients at your local store, you can get them online through Bob’s Red Mill.
Also online check out the Gluten Free Mall, it carries some great gluten free products. My favorites are those by SCHAR, they are European and their pastas are not grainy like Quinoa or Spelt pasta. And the pre-made pizza shells come out really crunchy when baked.
Have you tried http://newgrainrecipes.com/ ??
We do a lot of baking from scratch. And now Betty Crocker has a few GF mixes, which is great in a pinch. Thank you for the flour recipe!
oh how sweet – sigh- My son is now 22 and will always be my baby- lol.
I was a stealth mama in many ways but my kids never did letters to Santa – I had to sneak around for other things. : )
At least we can see where Lola gets her sneakiness from : ) –
Which I finally got a chance to read the book after what feels like forever in my tbr pile – Absolutely loved it – what a great sense of humor too. Can’t wait for January.
Diabetes is already on my prayer list, I’ll add Celiac too – we’ve done so much with medicine in the last decades why not a little more?
Thank you, Chris!
I’m going to ask Santa for a cure for your son also.
My kids are grown past Santa and for Christmas I just want them all home and safe. They’re learning to love the holiday for the time together and caring less about the gifts each year. The last few years have been wonderful. Wish you all the same.
Thank you, Susan! Merry Christmas.
Misa, I have all the letters to Santa. They reside in a corner of my dresser drawer along with baby teeth and a poem my daughter wrote to her stepfather to let him know he was a ‘real’ father.
A poem–that is so sweet, Jill! He must treasure that.
Aww heck, why didn’t I think of asking Saint Nick for a girlfrind and a kiss?
*Bummer*
But don’t _really_ intend to embarass your sons by showing their letters for Santa to their gf’s and/or wives, ‘twould be soo evil.