Here's the story of how I never let the magic of Christmas die. When I was in fourth grade, I started to question the existence of Santa Clause. Everyone at school would tell me that Santa was just a myth and he wasn’t real. I did not want to accept that the magic was fake, so that night I wrote a letter to Santa saying…

Dear Santa,

Many kids at school tell me that you are not real. If you are real I would like bells from your sleigh.

Alannah

I did not discuss the matter with anyone in my family and left it at that. Christmas morning I woke up and ran into the living room to open gifts. With a big smile on my face I unwrapped all the gifts that were left the night before by Santa. As I got to my last gift my smile turned into a frown. My energy decreased as I found out the magic was gone. My dad walked up to me and asked,

Hunny, is everything okay?

I replied, yes I am okay.

If Santa left something that you wanted you knew I would get it right?

Yes. I’m okay.

Okay well I’m going to get the paper for grandma I’ll be right back.

As I sat there with all hope taken from me, I started to tear. As the front door creaked open I heard my father yell,

Alannah there is something out here for you!

I lifted up my head and ran for the door. Sitting on top of the bench on the front porch covered in snow is a brown box. Attached to the box is a letter,

Dear Alannah,

Sorry I couldn’t fit this in the house. I hope this proves those kids at school wrong.

S.C.

I ripped open the box and sitting inside were rusty chipped sleigh bells.

In that moment I knew there was a Santa Claus. I still have the bells to this day to show children who need that extra magic in their life around the holidays. The most real things in the world are those that no one can see.