You know your never too old to play with toys. Sometimes as we get older we forget how to use our imagination. We forget how to dream when we are awake. For me. I could see the mechanism inside the wood. The gears spinning up here could imagine the moving parts locked inside the wood. Movement that would give life to the toys I would carve. But these toys only come to life when fed by the imagination of a playful child. What to you see in the world? What do you dream? Everyone has a gift. Some have numbers, others are good with people but everyone has a special gift. Everyone. Open your eyes. You see the world as no one else ever will. This Christmas be the Santa in you. And give the world the gift that is you. Dream the dreams that only you could dream. And them make them reality. Merry Christmas.

Food. I like food. People eat may different types of food at Christmas time. Some people eat fish. Some eat duck or turkey. Others eat roast meats then there is pastries and chocolates and fruit cake and of course my favorite the cookie. It seems each year I have a different cookie that rises to the top of my list. Last year was Snickerdoodles. Mmmmmm. Not sure what this year will be. I never know till Christmas Eve. But the great thing about eating the Christmas feast is the sharing. The breaking bread together. There is great meaning here. There is great fellowship. When people put aside the illusions of differences, angers they have been holding on to. Most of the time I bet they can’t even remember what they had a problem with. But either way. we make an agreement with ourselves that this day we won’t bring those up. At the Christmas feast we will share what we all long for. Family. Friends. A connection to one another. If it is only once a year. Say yes. Be the Santa in you. Set the plans. Set the table. These are the memories for which we give thanks. Merry Christmas.

The world is a small big place or maybe it is a big small place. Beautiful. But people are the same. All over. They want health. They want happiness. They want to belong. All over the world people give gifts at Christmas time. Some people give food. Some people give songs like Christmas carolers. Some give toys. Some gifts are not even things you can feel or touch or see or hear but the gift itself requires two people. Both are giving. A gift itself is not in its value. How much it costs the money it took. the gift is precious only in its intention. I give you this because I want you to feel joy. You give me thanks because you want me to feel joy in return. The gift it blesses both for both give and both receive. Remember this Christmas a gift fulfilled needs only joyful acceptance. Be the Santa in you. Merry Christmas.

Christmas letters. I love them. I get letters all year round. Of course I get loads of letters around Christmas. But I remember this one letter. This little boy Kerch was getting picked on by this bully and he was trying to figure out how to deal with him. He was asking everyone how to handle him. Someone told him Poke him in the nose. Another person said get everyone to gang up on him. His mother asked him a special question. What do you like about the boy. Kerch thought for a second and said He is very good at baseball but no one picks him because he causes trouble. Well said the boy’s mother, next time it is your turn to chose a team pick him first. Kerch did just that and found that over the year of doing this the bully stopped bullying and the two became friends. Kerch wanted to make sure I wasn't going to bring coal to his friend for how he had acted during the year. I don’t normally bring coal unless it is part of a joke. Of course people used to use it to warm their homes. Anyway, this boy he didn’t try to stop the fight with fighting. He found peace. He created peace for him as well as his new friend. This year be the Santa in you and bring a little peace to the season.