Santa's Prayer

My dear precious Jesus, I did not mean to take your place,

I only bring toys and things and you bring love and grace.

People give me lists of wishes and hope that they came true;

But you hear prayers of the heart and promise your will to do.

Children try to be good and not to cry when I am coming to town;

But you love them unconditionally and that love will abound.

I leave only a bag of toys and temporary joy for a season;

But you leave a heart of love, full of purpose and reasons.

I have a lot of believers and what one might call fame;

But I never healed the blind or tried to help the lame.

I have rosy cheeks and a voice full of laughter;

But no nail—scarred hands or a promise of the hereafter.

You may find several of me in town or at a mall;

But there is only one omnipotent you, to answer a sinner’s call.

And so, my dear precious Jesus, I kneel here to pray;

To worship and adore you on this, your holy birthday.

The Tooth Fairy

By Diane Forrest

My first brush with cash came when I was just a small child.  I learned quickly that to earn some fast easy money all I had to do was pull a tooth and hide it in a paper towel under my pillow.  When I woke up the next morning, there would be a shiny quarter in its place.  Of course I couldn’t do this frequently, but as soon as a tooth started to wiggle I was dreaming of what I could buy.

Today is a day to recognize the person who helped make that possible.  He needs no introduction, I’m sure you know whom I am talking about.  This person has no specific "day" or holiday - just shows up when the need arises.  Then remains on standby, and shows up at a moment's notice.  He completes his work in the dark of night, or wee hours of the morning, and receives no payment for efforts, not even a cookie or glass of milk.  Not only does he show up during your time of need, but also makes repeated visits without complaints.

So who is the tooth fairy exactly?  The tooth fairy is a fantasy figure who belongs in the group of other famous people.  In the movie, the Santa Claus, There are quite a few prestigious members of that club.  There is Mother Nature and Father Time, Santa, the Easter Bunny, The tooth fairy, cupid, the sandman, and Jack Frost, a fantasy want to be.

 The earliest mention of the tooth fairy started in Europe.  It was the custom to bury the child's baby teeth, then after the 6th tooth fell out, a gift of money was placed under the pillow.  Some even sprinkled glitter on the floor to depict a trail of fairy dust.  No one knows exactly what the tooth fairy looks like.  There is no standard picture as there is of Santa, or the Bunny.  Reports from Wikipedia states that a 1984 study conducted by Rosemary Wells revealed that most, 74 percent of those surveyed, believed the tooth fairy to be female, while 12 percent believed the tooth fairy to be neither male nor female and 8 percent believed the tooth fairy could be either male or female. One review of published children's books and popular artwork found the tooth fairy to also be depicted as a child with wings, a pixie, a dragon, a blue mother-figure, a flying ballerina, two little old men, a dental hygienist, a potbellied flying man smoking a cigar, a bat, a bear and others. Unlike the well-established imagining of Santa Claus, differences in renderings of the tooth fairy are not as upsetting to children.

After interviewing several people, the findings of the amount the tooth fairy left usually average out depending on each generation.  My father's generation usually got nothin, or maybe a nickel.  My generation got a quarter, while my son's generation got a dollar.  When asking my cousin what the tooth fairy brought her kids I was surprised.  The fairy brought $10.00 for the first tooth, and $3.00 to $5.00 for the remaining teeth.  I guess inflation hits everyone.  The reported average for teeth these days is around $2.70 per tooth.

Today is National Tooth Fairy Day.  If you have already lost all your baby teeth, why not rent the movie The Tooth Fairy, and relive some of your fond childhood memories.

[All images from Google]

Letter Writing Week

(Google Image)

By Diane Forrest

In this electronic age, there is something that has gotten pushed by the wayside - The art of letter writing.  Every now and then I will come across an article in the news mentioning a letter from someone famous that has been discovered.  These letters give us an insight to the people, time, and history that has taken place.   Many are very fascinating to read, and some are just like the letters you write to your Aunt Tilly.

My stepson started a job working out of town.  He is gone for normally 3 weeks at a time.  I encouraged him to write cards or letters to his wife and daughter while he was gone.  He informed me that with the internet, cell phones and such, there was no need to physically write a letter.  I tried to explain to him that while those were good methods of communication, nothing beats a handwritten letter.  It is something you can hold on to, read over and over again, and save as a memento of the personal touch.

(Google Image)

Many people save letters from old loves, or family members who were in battles overseas.  These memories are so precious to them, even more so if the writer never returned home.  It is like holding a piece of them in your hands and in your heart.

(Google Image)

Many children recently wrote letters to Santa Claus, letting him know what their wishes were for Christmas, and our local newspaper publishes them, and they are so cute and funny to read.  There are also a number of children who write to presidents of the United States.  Once such letter, to President Franklin Roosevelt is included below:

"My good friend Roosevelt," was the surprisingly informal salutation. "I am twelve years old. I am a boy but I think very much." Apparently one of the things he thought about was what he wanted from the U.S. President: "If you like, give me a ten dollars bill green American, in the letter, because never, I have not seen a ten dollars bill green American and I would like to have one of them." The letter was signed with a flourish: "Castro, Fidel Castro." At the time he wrote this letter, it was not known he would grow up to be a Cuban dictator, but if not for someone saving this letter, we would have never learned of his request.

This week is Letter Writing Week.  Letters are not just for children, but for everyone.  I save every letter I receive, and keep them in a box to pull them out every now and then.  If you have someone who is far away, or even down the street, send a letter to let them know you are thinking of them.  If you don't have someone to write to, consider writing someone in the military.  I had attempted to find an address for any serviceman or woman, however, I couldn’t find just an address, but you can check out www.anysoldier.com, soldiersangels.com or wounded warrier.com.  Don't let these skills die off in a text, pull out some pen and paper today, and write a nice letter to someone you know.

(Google Image)

CHRISTMAS LAUGHS

By Terry Orr

(Thanks for the email Bruce)

"People won't remember what you did. People won't remember what you said.

But, people will remember how you made them feel."