Dear Mom,

I know that as the holidays are approaching, you are stressed about how you will make Christmas as special as you have in the past. No longer are we four kids who play with Polly Pockets and Guitar Hero, but young adults who are entering the work force and taking on our own responsibilities. There is no sense of magic that comes with waiting for Santa to deliver our presents, because we know that it is you who buys our gifts. There is no need to leave out a plate of cookies and milk because we know that Dad was always the one who ate them. No longer do you have to spread oats onto the lawn for “Reindeer Food” nor do you have to wrap all of our presents while we sleep on Christmas Eve so we don’t discover them. All of the awe that used to come with Santa Claus is long gone for your kids, but it is because we now know it was you who created the magic. It was you who spent hours at the mall trying to find the perfect gift for every one of your children. It was you who wrapped each gift flawlessly and wrote “From Santa” in perfect cursive on the tag. It was you who beautifully redecorated the tree after we went to sleep because we were all too short to reach the top for ornaments. It was you who made each Christmas special, not some imaginary guy in a suit.

While we may no longer believe in Santa, you are the one who makes Christmas remain to be as special as it was when we were younger. There is no gift that we can give you that would make up for the years of work that you did in order to fulfill our childhood fantasies. I know that you worry every year about how you can possibly keep the magic of Christmas alive with four children in their 20s. What gifts can you buy us that will make us light up as we did when we were younger? How can you afford to buy enough presents for each child so the ground underneath the tree does not look bare? I know that you worry about these things, but you don't need to. When I look back on my past Christmases, I do not remember the gifts that I received, but the joy I felt in unwrapping them under the tree that I helped decorate. I remember the calming sound of your voice reading me the "Night Before Christmas" and the cheesy holiday music we blasted through the house. I remember the french toast you made us every Christmas morning and the feast you prepared for us every Christmas night. I remember the memories that you and Dad gave us, not the material presents under the tree. While I am forever grateful for the money and time you spend buying us presents every year, the best gift you have ever given me are the memories of a childhood filled with blissful Holidays. So Merry Christmas, Mom, and thank you for making every year as special as the next. You are the best Santa Claus that I could ask for.