Capybara Magic

WARNING: this piece is not safe to share with Santa believers.

There are so many parts of the Santa Project that I wish I could share with you.  The sounds of the kids being excited as they sit and write their letters at the red desk.  The grins as they put their letter in the mailbox to go to the North Pole.  The anticipation of which gifts have arrived when the Amazon delivery comes.

 

Of course, there are parts of this massive undertaking that I would NOT want to share with you…  The hard decisions of what to choose from the letters.  The scheduling nightmare of how we will get all of these wrapped.  The exhaustion that will most certainly hit at the end of it all (just let me get through to that point please).  And what may be the worst part – our already too full and messy house getting inundated with toys and clothing and shoes and boxes and tissue paper and ribbons and books and everything else that is associated with the Santa Project.

 

So, I cannot share it all with you.  But I would like to share a magical moment we had tonight.

 

There is a little letter writer who comes every year.  We don’t know him from the neighborhood, not sure how he got started writing to Santa here.  But every year, without fail, this boy comes.  And also every year, without fail, this boy asks for something odd.  He has an unusual name so we remember him and we are always excited to see what this year’s request will be.  This little sweetie is now 10.

 

And this year he is obsessed with capybaras.

 

I shared his letter the other day on Facebook because I love it so much. 

 

As you can see, he very thoughtfully wrote a description of each capybara he wanted, plus drew a picture (plus specified size – all small).  We were delighted with his new obsession of capybaras.  I chose as his gifts: the capybara with the flower, an adorable stocking hat with a capy on the front, and I forgot what else but it was definitely capy related.

 

Then I found it online.  A CAPYBARA ADVENT CALENDAR!

 

There could not be a more perfect gift.  I added that to the wish list and a sweet friend granted that wish lickety split.

 

Fast forward a few days and there is a knock on our front door.  That’s not uncommon around here, so I answered it.  A woman asked if I had received her texts about her child’s Christmas gifts.  Ummmm – nooooo… 

 

Ahh, I realized that perhaps it had not been ME she was texting, but our board member Ixi who has been helping a lot by texting with the adults who speak Spanish.  “Was the text in Spanish?” I asked.  No, no, English.

 

Hmmm.  She asked if your phone number xxx-xxx…  Nooo, not my number.

 

Wait!  New phone!  We now have a business phone and that is what I used to send out the invitation to parents to bring their children!  YES, yes that is my number, but I have been using that phone to play Christmas music at the Santa station and haven’t read the texts on it.  Oops.

 

I checked and she had texted and left a voice mail.  And now she was on our porch.

 

“Listen, ummm, my son. He is OBSESSED with capybaras.  Please, please, do NOT get him all 3 of those capybaras he asked for!!  He has too many capys!  They are taking up his whole bed.  Please get him the things I texted you instead.”

 

Oh, I was disappointed.  I knew nothing about capybara before this request and was quite looking forward to giving him the animals.

 

“Umm, ok…  Well, how about just one capy and we got him a very cute little hat with a capy on it…” I said.

 

The mom looked frazzled. 

 

“We will get what you texted, too!” I told her.

 

“Ok, maybe not the hat?  Some other kid!  Surely someone else asked for CAPYBARA!!” she said, maybe not knowing that not all 10 year olds talk non-stop about capys.

 

“Ummm, no, no other capy requests yet.  But that’s ok!  We will figure out his gift,

“ I reassured her.  “BUT – he is getting a capybara ADVENT CALENDAR.  When it arrives, we will wrap it. Can you please come for it when I text you?  It will be by December 1!”.  The mom agreed.

 

The advent calendar arrived.

 

I was psyched.

 

I created a whole back story, which is something I often do with the Santa letters and I really enjoy.  Each child who participates gets a letter from Santa, but this year, this year is special.  This year this boy would get 2!

 

Here is what the letter said:

 

"Dear xxx,

 

SURPRISE!

 

Bet you didn’t expect to hear from me this early, did you??  But your letter arrived at the North Pole and I got all excited to see that you fell in love with capybaras this year!!!

 

Guess what?  I fell in love with capys, too!!!  Mrs. Claus and I took a much needed vacation to Bolivia and we got to see capys.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  They are so cute!  Don’t you just want to pick them up and snuggle them??

 

When we got back from vacation I was doing a Powerpoint presentation to the elves, showing them all of our photos from Bolivia and teaching them about the country.  We do that after all of our vacations.  It’s good for the elves to learn about places other than the North Pole, and they do not get to travel as often as we do.

 

Anyway, one elf, Fredrick, saw the photos of the capybaras and got obsessed…  He talks about capys ALL.  THE.  TIME.  He talks about them at breakfast.  He talks about them at lunch.  He talks about them at dinner.  And I suspect he even DREAMS ABOUT CAPYBARAS!

So, Fredrick’s friend, Nicolette, decided to make a very special treat for him.  She made him a CAPYBARA ADVENT CALENDAR!  Shhh though, he has not seen it yet because it is not December 1^st.  When I read your letter I knew right away that I must ask Nicolette if she could make another capy advent calendar – one for YOU! 

 

Only – how could I get it to you on time???  I can’t take the sleigh out until at least December – it is still getting tuned up and polished and everything to get ready…  Plus, I am super duper busy right now…  I was discussing the problem with Mrs. Claus and she had the answer (as she often does).  She said, “Santa, simply MAIL Thiago the advent calendar!”.

 

Ahhhh that sweetheart of mine!!  She is a wise one!

 

So Thiago, I hope this special early gift reaches you in time.  You can open one door of the advent calendar each day (but not MORE THAN ONE, no cheating!!).  The elves are still busy making your other gifts so I will bring those closer to Christmas.

 

Talk more soon, fellow capy lover!

 Love,

Santa"

 

Well, today is the last day of November.  I wrapped the gift.  I printed the letter.  I texted the mom.

 

And we waited.

 

Finally the doorbell rang.  It was our capy friend with his mom.

 

“Hey, this is WEIRD.  This GIFT arrived for you.  But it isn’t Christmas…  We don’t understand what’s going on, but look, it has a note that says OPEN NOW!”.

 

The trap had been set.

 

His eyes gleamed.  He grinned.  And he took the package.

 

And said thanks.  And started to walk away with it.

 

Well drat.  We wouldn’t get to see the big reveal, but that’s ok.

 

“Do you want to open it NOW?” his mom said.

 

YES!!  Thanks mamma!!

 

“Well, it DOES SAY “open NOW”…” I added.

 

And with that he ripped into the paper.

 

He saw a capy on it right away and was excited, but I don’t think he knew what it was.  Then he opened the envelope and pulled out the note.

 

And that little boy stood out there in the freezing cold and read aloud every line of that letter.  And grinnnnned.  He was happy.

 

His mom told him to thank us and give us hugs (not sure why – WE didn’t give him the calendar, it just oddly got delivered to us…).  And off they went.

 

I know for a fact that kid is gonna dream about capybaras tonight.  And he is going to want to RIP door one open tomorrow morning right when he wakes up!!! 

 

24 days of teeny tiny capys.  Ahhhh, holiday bliss.

 

Happy holidays, all!

 

P.S. – there are no capys on the wish lists (right now, but the lists change multiple times a day as letters come in), but if you would like to grant some wishes we would be very grateful.  200 children will join in the magic and right now we are half-way there.  If you ever check the wish lists and they are empty, come back in a few hours.  We still have 100 letters to come in so things will be added often.  Thanks!  

Anything ordered from these wish lists ships directly to us:

Amazon Santa Project Wish List

Target Santa Project Wish List

Hugs of Kindness

Sometimes it seems like I end up at the “right place at the perfect time” an awful lot.

But I got to thinking about it the other night, and I came to this conclusion:

It is not that I end up at the right place at the perfect time any more than other people, it may just be that I notice it more than others.  I have my receptors in tune.  I have, as I like to think of it, my eyes open and my heart open.  And when that happens, well, you can find yourself in some amazing situations.

The one I want to share with you now is from Christmas Eve.  My partner David and I were doing last minute grocery shopping.  We had been far too busy with the Santa Project to think of what we would eat for the holidays.  But as the realization that stores would close in just a couple of hours hit, we headed to the grocery.

We picked up what we needed and were checking out.  “David, maybe we should pay for the person in line behind us,” I whispered to him as we were finishing up.  After all, it was Christmas Eve.

We stalled a bit with our items while the cashier rang up the woman behind us’ purchases.  I was all set to pay for her, but something just didn’t feel right.  I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I felt that this was not the time, or it was not the person.  Whatever it was, I put the credit card back in wallet and we turned to go.

And that’s when I saw her.

One aisle over, waiting for the cashier to check out her groceries, was an older woman.  She was wearing shorts on a cold evening, with leg warmers pulled up to her knees.  And she was shaking.

I was not sure if the shakes were from the temperature or a tremor, but she was standing in the grocery store shaking.

I looked at David.  He looked at me.  And with twinkles in our eyes, we knew that this was right.  This was the moment.  This was why the universe had put us in that store at that time.  To be kind to her.

I walked up to her and said something like, “Excuse me ma’am.  It is Christmas Eve.  Would it be ok if we gave you the gift of paying for your groceries tonight?”.

She looked at me briefly, then turned back to her wallet.  The cashier looked at us.  I wasn’t sure if the shopper had understood what I said.  “Ma’am, we would like to pay for your groceries tonight.  Is that alright?” I asked gently.

Now she turned to look at us full on.  Her face looked confused, but she understood.  “Well now, you don’t have to do that,” she said.

“Of course we don’t have to,” I replied, “But we want to.  It is Christmas Eve.  We want to give you a gift.”

She accepted the gift.  We paid.  The cashier gave us a smile as we helped put the full bags back in her cart.

And that’s when she leaned her skinny little body next to mine and reached out her thin arms.  She came in for the biggest embrace. 

So, there we stood – two strangers hugging on Christmas Eve.  Blocking the aisle so the person behind her could not proceed.  But they sensed the need – they were patient.

When our hug ended, I asked, “How are you getting home?  Do you have a car here?”.

Indeed she did – she was parked out in the lot.  “We’ll walk out with you and help you load up your car,” we told her.

And off we went out into the cold.  She was a slow walker, but that was fine with us, we were not in any hurry.  She lost her car so we had to explore a bit in the lot to find it, but that was ok with us.  Her car was old so she didn’t have a button to push to make it honk to help find it, so we walked slowly and hunted.

When we found the car, she turned to hug me again, tears in her eyes.  “You don’t understand,” she said, “I needed this.  You see, I just got diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver.  And a blood clot,” she said, tears streaming down her face. 

More hugs – tight, tight hugs.  Tears. 

We helped her load the groceries into the back seat.  I couldn’t see inside, but David later reported that she may have been living in the car.  He saw blankets and a pillow.  And when I thought back to what she bought, I think he may be right.  She had juices that do not need to be refrigerated.  Snacks of chips and nuts.  Tubs of potato salad, pre-made sandwiches, and other things from the deli that did not need to be cooked.

We said goodbye and Merry Christmas and parted ways.

I hope she has housing and is not living in her car.

I hope that her medical treatments are effective.

I hope that the hugs we gave her will help her get through the next few weeks.

And I hope that she is in the perfect place at the perfect time again sometime soon.

As for me, I will keep my eyes open and my heart open.  I will continue to talk to strangers, hug them even. 

And I will continue to spread kindness.  One tub of potato salad at a time.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $131.60 

 

 

(This lovely angel was made mostly of rolled paper by a kind neighbor and given to us for Christmas.)

Feliz Navidad Indeed

People often reach out to us at Kindness Activist to see if we can use something they have in our efforts to spread kindness.  This happens especially frequently this time of year – the holiday season.

Well, we recently got an offer that we couldn’t refuse.  One that helped put the JOY into the holiday for one family.

A very kind neighbor who shares a name with me, Susan, reached out saying that she had won a certificate for a free Christmas tree!  Instead of using it to get a tree for her home, she asked if we would like it so that we could find a family in need who might enjoy it.

Challenge accepted.

 

We first offered it to a family we know that is going through a very difficult period.  They were not up for the challenge of setting up and decorating a tree this year (which I understand totally). 

 

We watched visitors coming to the Little Yellow Free Pantry, trying to identify someone there who might benefit from it.  The problem is they would need a vehicle to transport it and a large space to put it up.  Those are things that many of our guests do not have.

 

We are very, very busy right now with the Santa Project (an annual event we host where children write letters to Santa).  Between organizing gifts and writing return letters from Santa for over 200 children, there are many days in December where I don’t leave the house except to fill the pantry, set out the daily poll on the corner, and chat with guests coming to get treats from the countdown calendar on our porch (it is day 17 today, and the treats are goodies!!)

 

But we had the certificate in hand and we needed to find a family for it before the live trees were all sold out, so off we went to the Optimist Club tree lot one sunny Sunday afternoon.  It was a great excuse to get out of the house actually.

 

Shhh - we have a certificate for an amazing free Christmas tree!!!

Only, it turned out the tree lot was in a wealthy part of town.  The trees were gorgeous, but very expensive, and the people coming to buy them there were able to afford them without any problem. 

 

One thing about Kindness Activist is that we are an organization is that it is not needs based.  We believe that every human being can benefit from kindness.  That’s why we often surprise people by doing things like paying for their groceries – we know they have the money to cover them or they wouldn’t be checking out, but they are inspired and delighted to receive kindness. 

 

But this particular act of kindness – surprising someone with a free Christmas tree – this one felt as if it should go to a family in need.  And it didn’t look like we were going to find such a family at the Optimist Club tree lot.  We talked it over and decided to head to the closest Home Depot and see if we might be able to make the magic work there.

 

And it certainly did work.

 

It didn’t take long to find a sweet family looking at trees.  We watched them a bit to make sure they were in the market for a BIG one (the certificate was good for a 7-foot tree!!).  And then we approached…

 

Sometimes offering a kindness such as this is delicate.  We do not want the receiver to feel that we are looking down on them, that we are pitying them.  After all, they do not know who we are and that we like to spread kindness wherever we go.  To them we are just 2 random people approaching them smiling.

 

We did not share a common language, but one of the children was able to interpret (and from the look of things it seemed like they often functioned in that role).  We asked if they were shopping for a tree and explained that we would like to give them this certificate that would allow them to get a free tree.  “Not here,” we told them, “You would need to drive about 10 minutes.  The address is here on the paper,” we showed them.

 

The child interpreted, smiles in her eyes, as the parents looked over the certificate.  They nodded.  “Yes!  Yes!” they said.

 

“Feliz Navidad!  Merry Christmas!” we told them as we left to come back home.

 

I turned back to see them standing amidst the Christmas trees.  They looked a bit stunned, but happy.  I am guessing they followed us to the parking lot very quickly and made their way to the other tree lot.

 

I hope they ended up with the most beautiful Christmas tree ever and that their holiday season is filled with even more wonder and magic.

 

Feliz Navidad everyone. 

 

Feliz Navidad.

Counting Down to Kindness

When you do a kind act, you have no idea the effect it has on others.

And it can be something so simple, so quick, so inexpensive.  Helping someone get something off a high shelf at the grocery store.  Complimenting someone's winter hat.  Pitching in $5 to help someone who doesn't have quite enough to pay for their purchase.

Since beginning Kindness Activist years ago, spreading kindness has become so ingrained in my life that sometimes I forget to pause and take note of it.  It is just part of everyday life around here.  And that's when I am thankful that something happens to remind me: stop.  Breathe.  Look.  FEEL.  Feel the effect that putting kindness into the world has.  Let that warmth resonate.  Let it give you energy to keep going.

I got one last night - a gentle reminder.  I didn't realize it, but I needed it.  Here's what happened.

Kindness Activist purchased 17 advent calendars at Trader Joe's when they first came out late October.  I like advent calendars - I don't remember doing them growing up, but as an adult, I like the repetition and certainty of them.  Counting down, one by one.  Calming.  And also exciting - getting closer and closer to the anticipated date.

If you shop at Trader Joe's, you know these calendars are not expensive.  They are a loss-leader for the store to get people in (like me!) who will pile many more items in their cart before they check-out.  

Yesterday was December 1st - the beginning of advent calendar season.  We had a super busy day and honestly, had forgotten to bring the box of calendars back to our home from storage.  Late in the afternoon we remembered, and David ran over to pick them up.

I posted in the neighborhood group - 17 advent calendars up for grabs!  Come get them - one per child per household.  Must come tonight.

People commented immediately, very excited to score the treats.  One comment stood out.  Someone wrote:  "We have two kids - this would make their month/year.  Can pick up right away since I'm just down the street".  I replied that I would hold 2 for them, and before long the father knocked on our door.  

I showed him the calendars and had him choose which 2 were best for his kids.  He took them with such care and made eye contact with me.  "Thank you.  Thank you so much.  My kids will be so happy.  I lost my job a few months ago...  We've already told the kids that Christmas will be lean this year.  So, you can't understand how thankful I am for these calendars."

Such a simple gesture - pick up cheap advent calendars and share the joy.

But it is impossible to predict what an effect it would have.  

To me - it was an advent calendar.  To that family - it was a small piece of normalcy.  A glimmer of hope.  An unexpected bit of magic.

Thank you for the reminder, sir.  It gave me the fuel I need to get through this week.  

I will continue the mission - I will spread kindness.  And I will hold your family in my heart and do all I can to make your holiday season a happy one.

Kindness Activist funds spent - $23.25 ($1.37 per calendar)

Reminder of the importance of spreading kindness - priceless

The Sounds of The Season

You don’t think of ADVENT CALENDARS as having a “sound”. 

I mean, they are inanimate objects.  Simple or ornate paper creations with tiny doors that peel open daily – December 1 – 24 – to reveal a small “prize” each day.  Most offer a small piece of chocolate (usually of questionable quality…).  But all offer tradition.  A sense of holiday.  Something to look forward to.  A bit of routine.  And a of excitement for what is just around the corner – creeping closer, closer, closer day by day – Christmas.

But one thing they do not have is a “sound”.

Unless, that is, they are LIFE-SIZE.

And not made of paper, but wood.

And not on a mantle or dining room table, but on the purple porch of an almost 100-year-old yellow house on the corner of a very busy intersection.

In that case, with that particular advent calendar, many, many sounds are on offer.

The sound of little feet scampering up 6 steps.  Then back down.

The sound of small wooden doors – various sizes, shapes, and colors – opening, closing, opening, closing.

The sound of giggles and laughter.

The sound of the doorbell dinging or tiny hands knocking every couple of hours to report that today’s cubby is empty and could it please be refilled.

The sound of wrapping paper being ripped away to reveal the magic that is today’s treat.

The sound of chatter as children sitting on the top step eating whatever deliciousness they discovered behind the door of the day.

The sounds of crying as a tiny piece of today’s toy treasure drops between the cracks of the old steps and disappears into darkness (and the sound of old bones creaking as Miss Susan ventures under the cobweb filled porch to try and retrieve the prize).

The sounds of friends – old and new – staying and chatting after meeting up and discovering what was behind today’s door.

The sound – over and over and over day after day after 24 days – of “Good morning friend!  Do you know what day it is day??  The numbers look like…The door is pink and the handle is blue…”.

The sound of whistles, freshly unwrapped, being blown as loudly as possible on the porch, down the steps, down the sidewalk, across the street, and on and on and on the way.

The sound of “Merry Christmas – thank you Miss Susan and Mr. David” for 20 days straight by 2 little visitors who faithfully visited until vacation plans ended their visits before the final cubby door could be opened.

The sounds of joy and curiosity and love and friendship and community and holiday and glee and wonder and tradition.

The sounds of the season.

Total Kindness Activist funds used:  $977.83, which sounds like an awful lot until you break it down:

$40.74 per day for 24 days

Average of 55 visitors per day

.74 cents per visitor per day

Value - priceless

The Santa Project 2022 Summary!

I suppose the most logical way to write a summary of the 2022 Santa Project would be to do it NUMERICALLY.  You know, how many kids wrote letters to Santa, how much Kindness Activist money was used to buy the gifts, etc….

But the thing is, not much is LOGICAL about the Santa Project…

I guess the most simple way to give a summary would be to show a couple of the letters kids wrote to Santa and how Santa replied. 

But then, nothing about the Santa Project is SIMPLE either…

But the 2022 event finally wrapped up yesterday, January 22, 2023, so it is time to tackle the summary, however I figure out how to do it.  I want to share the results with you, I owe you a summary, so here goes!!

Deep breath.

Some letters to Santa come complete with portraits of the big man!

Whew – the Santa Project was exhausting!!!  I took some time off before it to spend visiting my family in Omaha, and as soon as the plane landed back in Arlington I hit the ground running.  The letter writing station opened on November 30^th and stayed up until around December 15^th.  During that time, over 200 people wrote letters to Santa – 212 people to be exact.  Compare that to year one (2020) when 111 people wrote.  Or to 2021 when 142 people wrote.  The project is growing!!

And those 212 people were not the only ones to receive gifts and letters from the big man at the North Pole.  Some special gifts were also given this year to folks in difficult situations that did not write, but Santa treated them anyway (17 people).  More about that in a bit.

During the Santa Project, our home (which we lovingly call the Big Yellow House) is over-run by it.  People stop by the station at all hours of the day and night and mail their letters in the special mailbox that goes straight to the North Pole.  Amazon boxes arrive in droves – there were so many deliveries this year that our porch was constantly covered in a sea of brown boxes and white padded envelopes.  Volunteers (called “elves” of course!) pop in and out everyday to wrap gift after gift after gift.  And I sit at my laptop and compose letter after letter after “will I ever finish???” letter from Santa to respond to the excited writers.  Each letter is unique – no copy and paste here.  Santa answers their questions.  Commends them on their drawing and writing.  Asks them questions.  Tells them funny stories.  And even gives secret behind-the-scenes details about the goings on at the North Pole! 

But no – taking on this herculean task isn’t enough!  Well, it is enough, but in my excitement, I forgot that it was, and so added even MORE to the holiday plate!!!  Not only did we have the annual countdown to Christmas advent calendar running (which has amazing treats and surprises for kids to come and find in colorful little cubbies from December 1 – 24….), but I also held craft sessions so kids could make gifts for a loved one!  Ahhhh – what was I thinking???  (Not to worry – a detailed “lessons learned” list was created and “HOST GIFT MAKING SESSIONS BEFORE THE SANTA PROJECT BEGINS” is written on it in bold letters…)  Oh, and I also set aside time to prep for and do an interview with the Washington Post about the project, smack dab in the middle of it!!  The story made the print edition (and online) on December 10^th.  I am very honored that Theresa Vargas wrote the piece and feel that it beautifully captures the spirit of the project.  I wish that you could hear the author read it aloud.  I had that honor and it made me cry.  Think about that!  I obviously knew the story – I had interviewed for it and was living it!  But hearing Ms. Vargas’ voice tell me the story over the phone was magical.  You can read it here:  Mrs. Claus Is Ready

Now, while this special project is going on, “regular life” must continue, too.  The Little Yellow Free Pantry must be filled.  The Daily Poll must be changed.  Bills must be paid.  Work must be done.  People who need to borrow fancy outfits to wear to holiday events must be shown the Fancy Outfit Library.  It is not like those normal daily activities PAUSE during Santa season…  (Though, in all honesty, things like cleaning the house, or going to the eye doctor at the scheduled time, or getting enough sleep – THOSE things were squeezed out of the calendar to make space for Santa.  And the task of making and writing our annual Christmas cards has still not happened, a month later!  Nor has buying gifts for my own friends and family!!!) 

But back to what you are here to read about – the SANTA PROJECT!!

Great drawing of Santa from Maddie!

Like all Kindness Activist projects, this one is not needs based.  This one is MAGIC BASED!

And as always, the letters from children were amazing, delightful, funny, sad, and every other emotion you can think of.  Some made me laugh out loud.  Some made me cry.  And some forced me to take photos of them to send to the adult connected with the writer to ask for a translation because I could not read what was written 😊 . 

For those new to this project, a little explanation.  We have a beautiful bright red shiny desk that sits in a place of honor in front of our home during Santa season.  On the desk are:  blank paper, envelopes, writing instruments (crayons, pens, colored pencils, pencils), and candy canes for those who finish their letter.  The instructions on the desk tell letter writers to include:  their name, their age, if they have been good or bad this year (this will change for 2023), 3 ideas of small gifts that Santa can choose from for them, and their adult’s name and phone number.  When they finish their letter, they seal it in an envelope and pop it in the mailbox labeled “North Pole” next to the desk (we got a shiny new mailbox this year!).  They then put the red mailbox flag up, and can be certain that their letter will reach Santa!! 

In reality, of course, the red flag means that we have INCOMING LETTERS so we rush out to retrieve them.  Each and every letter sent gets a reply from Santa (written by me).  The replies are by far my favorite part of the project.  They mean more to me than the gifts, because the letters from Santa are (in my opinion) where the magic happens!  And, because this is year 3 of this project, I have historical information that I can peek at to make the reply letters even more special!!  I can look back at last year’s spreadsheet and see that, for example, Lissy got Junie B. Jones books as part of her gift in 2021, and Vahn got wooden toy food to use to practice the fine motor skill of cutting.  That means Santa can mention those “secret things that only he knows” in this year’s letter!  For example, “Did you read those Junie B. Jones book I brought you last year??  Weren’t they so funny?!!” or “So Vahn, have you been having fun playing with the food the elves made for you last year??”.  And, because of the historical info, I can also sometimes see what is happening in the child’s family.  For example, if a child asked for a gift for a soon-to-be-born sibling in 2021, in 2022 I can congratulate them for being such a great big brother/sister.  Or, if they reported in 2021 that they had difficulty being good, Santa can check in on that and ask about improvements.  Or, like one letter writer, if they asked in 2021 for a Covid vaccine for children (an actual request), in 2022 Santa can celebrate with them that the vaccines are now available!  Being able to look back on past letters to and from Santa really helps to add more magic and, I think, stretch out the amount of time that little letter writers believe.  Many parents have commented that the letters are their favorite part, too.  Some parents tell me that they are saving the letters from Santa.  What an honor! 

One big change in the project this year was opening it up and asking for more HELP.  The first year, I did it all alone (well, I roped by partner David in to assist, but the vast majority was done by me).  In year two, I asked for volunteers to help WRAP GIFTS.  I quickly realized how invaluable that assistance was!!  And in year three, I made an Amazon Wish List and shared it with the public so that whoever wanted to get involved could grant wishes that were asked for in letters.  Oh.  My.  Goodness!!  I was bowled over by people’s generosity and support!!!!  In previous years, Kindness Activist funds covered the cost of all of the gifts.  This year, GENEROUS DONORS covered the majority!!!  Y’all amaze and inspire me!  The fact that people all around the country were willing to step in and buy gifts for kids they had never met, to fulfill wishes from letters they had not even read, blew me away.  Seriously, donated gifts arrived in Amazon boxes every day!!  Some had gift slips with the names of donors, others “Santa-ed” me and just signed the slips “Santa” or “an elf”.  I am still not caught up with writing all of the thank you notes for those gift donations.  Little by little, I am getting them done.  This was a very important lesson for me.  people.  Want.  To.  Help.  People want to be kind!!!  Sometimes they do not know where to go to express that desire or how to do it.  Giving them the opportunity to help fund this project allowed the load to be split – the cost spread out among many, many people.  This freed up Kindness Activist funds and will allow them to be used in many creative ways instead of spending such a large percentage of the total fund on the Santa Project.

At the Big Yellow House (aka the “North Pole”) it is not “one letter/one gift”.  Oh no siree.  I would guess that the average letter writer got 2 ½ gifts this year.  And EACH ONE was individually wrapped by volunteer elves who seemed to be in our basement every single day of the project.  The presents were gorgeous!!!  Each one also had a “topper” – a decorative item on top – to make them super special.  And each one was tagged and signed from Santa. 

As disorganized as it looks around the Big Yellow House during Santa season, there is some method to the madness.  This year David was in charge of alphabetizing the gifts so that they could be more easily retrieved when it was time to give them.  He set up tables all around the house – one held letters A – D, one E – G, you get the picture.  There were gift everywhere – on both floors of the house!  It was magnificent!!  Fun fact:  the most popular names in our area start with the letters A – I .

This is not close to all of the gifts!!  Some had already been picked up, some where still downstairs...  This is just when we came up for air and thought, "Hey, we better document this with a photo!"

I mentioned earlier that some people got gifts from Santa this year even though they did not write him a letter.  Those were special cases, like the woman who left a note in the Little Yellow Free Pantry asking for maseca (flour used to make tortillas), oil, and gifts for her children.  And the Amazon driver who made delivery after delivery after delivery – her sons got gifts from Santa.  And the two strong women who took in a teenager to provide foster care when it was desperately needed – they got a gift from Santa (as did the teen – the teen was showered with gifts from magical donors).  And the woman from Guatemala who works cleaning a neighbor’s home – she is a hard-worker, single parent with 6 daughters – THEY got gifts from Santa.  And the brother and sister who get a snack and drink at the Little Yellow Free Pantry everyday (because, as the girl explained, “Our mom has enough money to get food, but not snacks”) – Santa brought them gifts, too.  And the little boy who was visiting from Canada and walked over with his little friends so they could pick up gifts Santa had left them??  Oh yes, he got a gift.  And the kids of a neighbor struggling financially and emotionally – Santa knows.  Sometimes letters are not possible when life itself is overwhelming.  Santa gets it.

And, like everything in life, there were some special stories.  One family with 3 kids was going out of town for the holidays, so Santa was holding their gifts until they returned.  Only, while they were on vacation, their rental car got BROKEN INTO and the “bad guys” (as reported by the children) stole gifts that Santa (the other Santa, not this one…) had already given them!!  Well, they wrote another letter to this Santa, and, with some quick communication back and forth with their mother, the gifts were replaced when they got back to Arlington.  They were thrilled!

One adult wrote a letter that really touched my heart.

 

Obviously, Santa couldn’t bring him what he asked for, but David and I tried to track him down.  He had written his address on the letter but when we went there no one was home.  And the phone number he gave does not work.  But we will keep trying.  Santa can’t give his family a safe home, but Kindness Activist most certainly can hook him up with something nice.

One girl who wrote to Santa is in America as a refugee from Ukraine.  She and her mother are super sweet – quiet, kind, and nice people.  They seem relieved to have a safe place to stay while the war rages on in their home country, but are eager for peace to come to Ukraine so they can return.

 

Santa could not put an end to the bloodshed, but he most definitely granted every other wish this child asked. 

One girl included a gift for SANTA in her letter - $2!!  It was the sweetest thing and made me cry.  This Santa always roots for the underdog, and the meek and humble kids tend to get showered with gifts.  So not only did this girl get the Skittles she asked for, she got a lot more.

I LOVE that she referenced 3 holidays in her letter to Santa. 
We live in a very diverse community, and kids of many faiths wrote letters.

Sometimes the magic extends beyond the letter to Mr. Claus. A little boy showed up one foggy, drizzly evening to write a letter.  It was dark and the desk was damp, but we dried it off so he could sit down and compose.  When he was finished, he shyly interpreted for his mother, who wanted to ask if it was ok for them to take some items from the Little Yellow Free Pantry.  I explained that food is always available and is for everyone, and they should take whatever they need at any time.  I went in to the pantry supply area and packed some bags of groceries for them.  The mamma was very, very grateful.  After we loaded the things in their vehicle, she quietly asked the boy to interpret again.  She wanted to know if it would be ok to write a letter to Santa for another child, her grown son with Downs Syndrome.  Of course!!!  Second letter composed and “mailed”.  Then, before they left, she very meekly asked the son to interpret again.  Might it be possible, she asked, that I knew where they could get a bed??  It turned out that the family was in desperate need.  Mamma had gotten them out of a bad situation, and they had nothing.  Because I was already overwhelmed with everything Santa related, I could not take on the task of coordinating and collecting all that was needed.  But a volunteer quickly raised her hand, and the community stepped up to support the family.  In just a couple of days they had a bed, sheets (they had been sleeping on old mattresses on the floor with no sheets), new pillows, blankets, and other much needed items. 

I wish that I could scan and share loads of letters kids wrote here.  But this story is already long enough, so I will choose just a few to show you. 

This child was very PRECISE in his description of his behavior - 85% good!

Agreed!  The "elvs" are very cute!

"Art splis" you want, art splis you shall receive!

This child has got to be one of the very kindest in the world.  

Yeah for Cheez-Its!!

Girl stop.  You had me at DISCO BALL....

Beautiful drawing!

It's always good when kids DRAW what they want!  (At first I thought she was asking for broccoli...)

Envelope addressed to Santa

This one warmed my heart - he explained what his brother wanted, too.  Their mom sent a video after they opened the gifts, and he nailed it on the request for his brother!  It was perfect.

Sometimes you have to read them ALOUD to figure out the phonetic spelling :)  

Another honest report - this letter writer has struggled.  His mom provided additional details so that Santa could write a response that might help with some behavior.

I love this letter.  She is so honest in reporting her behavior and feelings.  Adults could learn a thing or two from her.  Also, she asked for a gift for her MOM instead of herself!!

This one cracked me up - under the scratch out he wrote "not this" - just in case Santa didn't understand.

Beautiful self-portrait of a writer

This one was very magical.  Her dad rang the doorbell a few days AFTER the letter writing station had closed.  He was desperate to find a place just to MAIL this letter to the North Pole that his daughter had already written.  I brought the mailbox back out, he brought the child around, and she mailed it.  Then we set about making the magic happen!  Only, there ARE NO SHORT HAIR MERMAID DOLLS!!  So an amazing neighbor who is a stylist gave a mermaid doll a great haircut.  And another neighbor donated a beautiful "feder"!  

Luckily Santa knows some elves that are great translators....

     

This one is addressed "Dear Santa".  Something must've happened between mailing THIS, and dropping off the thank you note that follows....

Isn't she sweet???  

Another very honest letter from a 5 year old who was both good and bad...

There will always be some wishes that are impossible for Santa to grant:

-         For me and my friends to be best friends forever

-         For an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine

-         A sister

-         Peace of mind and a home for my family

And just to be clear, being Santa is by no means a thankless job!  Lots of people express their gratitude.  One parent texted, “Thank you!  My kids loved the letter and present from Santa!  My youngest kept reading the letter the whole morning.  You have brought joy to this family!”.  Another wrote, “The girls LOVE their gifts and the thoughtful letters!  Bless you.”  From another, “Kids were over the moon with all your kind gifts.  Thank you so very much.  God bless!”.  One mom texted, “Thank you once more for making so many lives happier!”.  And sometimes kids themselves drop off thank you notes at our home (to be forwarded to the North Pole, obviously…).

Some behind the scenes details:

Popular asks for 2022:  Lego, Squishmallows, stuffies, Pokemon, Hot Wheels

Some of my favorite gifts:  hot sauce, hoola hoop, Skittles, a short haired mermaid Barbie, art supplies, Play Doh, Hot Wheels garage (it was huge – for 2 brothers – their eyes LIT UP when they saw the size of the box), wooden food, a cool school bus, a garbage truck, a little mamma cat with a zipper in her tummy that when you unzipped it, revealed KITTENS (it was a bit “c-section” looking but very cute), a HUGE Hershey kiss, “treasures or gems” (aka shiny rocks), and Cheez-Its (yes, someone asked for Cheez-Its). 

Funniest wrapping: Elf Betsy is an expert wrapper, and she got ahead of me and couldn’t wrap more gifts, because I did not have letters from Santa ready.  So, she really took her time on the one gift that was ready: a small Nintendo Switch game.  She wrapped it in a box.  Then wrapped that box in another box.  And that box in another box…  And on and on and on.  The end result was a BIG PRESENT that weighed very little.  I was able to witness the boy come to pick it up, and he looked both surprised and confused….  He had only asked for the one thing, the small game cartridge.  Yet here he was getting a big box.  I wish I could’ve watched him open it!

KINDNESS ACTIVIST FUNDS USED:  $1561.09 (this includes shipping a few gifts, a new tree skirt for the Community Tree of Celebration where the gifts were all displayed for pick-up, some ribbons and wrapping paper, batteries for gifts that needed them, and gifts!)  This number would have been SO MUCH HIGHER without the generous support of people all around the country who pitched in and granted wishes from the Amazon wish list!  Thank you!

Thank yous go out to:

·       Countless elves for wrapping tons of gifts

·       Donors of wrapping paper, boxes, and ribbon

·       Friends who knew we were not eating right and delivered meals 

·       Gifts of homemade cookies and treats

·       Magical elves who delivered gifts to households who could not come pick them up or who we only had an address for

·       Gifts of bottles of wine (aka “elf juice”) that kept us going

·       Elves who heard my pleas to run to Target to pick up gifts I had ordered and brought them back to our house

·       Jessica for making the letters for the new mailbox and sign

·       Adults willing to let the kids in their lives participate in the magic

·       Pantry volunteers who helped out keeping the pantry stocked when I could not find the time or energy to do it

·       Ixi and Ivanna who translated lots of Santa letters into Spanish

·       Vera who translated letters into Ukrainian

·       The many, many donors who granted gifts from the Amazon wish list – because of your generosity, Kindness Activist funds will be able to be used for many, many more projects and surprises this year!

·       Adults who trusted us to take care of your kids while they made crafts to give as gifts

·       Donors who kept food and toiletries coming for the Little Yellow Free Pantry during the chaos of December

·       Heather who helped with the Fancy Outfit Library holiday rush

·       Theresa Vargas of the Washington Post, who so eloquently captured the essence of the project

·       Heather, stylist extraordinaire, who gave a mermaid Barbie a bob and reglued the package so it looked like she came that way

·       Parents who sent photos and videos of their kids reading their letters from Santa and opening their gift

·       And anyone else who, in my exhaustion, I have overlooked

#ItTakesAVillage

#HolidayMagic

#SantaProject

#KindnessActivist 

#BelieveInTheMagic