A letter to Father Christmas; because adults can write to Santa too.

“Not him again! I thought after five years of solid disappointment, Rich would realise I can’t afford all of these gifts.”

Dear Mr. Claus,

I know this is an incredulously busy time of year for you as you will already be inundated with letters from millions, and millions of children worldwide, most of which were obviously started on December 26th last year and contain extensive and detailed lists of demand after demand, but this Christmas all I’m asking is for you not to ignore me. Again.

I will never forget the Christmas of 1998; writing an extensive and detailed wish list (expectations) and popping it off in the post to yours truly, to receive a personalised reply (which on reflection is debatable as Lizzie’s reply was constructed with some somewhat differential handwriting) a few days later. As such, we come to my the first item on my list this year; Is getting a reply from you a one-time only event? I have been left bitterly disappointed since that Christmas, sat by the letterbox day after day, waiting for that envelope to appear sent all the way from The North Pole, for it to never arrive. Just one more reply is all I’m after (until next year.)

In all seriousness though Santa (I can still call you Santa, right?) I turned 21 this year and from now on my Christmas wish lists will be much more thought out; no more begging for an iPad, iMac, iPhone 3, 4 & 5, but the things that really matter.

I’ve now completed the first twelve months of my full-time working life; I’m earning, I’m not stuck around the house and I have a lovely new flat (nearly!) I have a car, clothes and a family & friends that care. The last being the most important, and not everyone has access to that.

That’s why Christmas 2012, to me, is all about family. It’s to be the last Christmas where the terrible twosome are still living at home. Twenty-one years of all celebrating Christmas under the same roof, tree in the same spot and The Queen’s Speech around the dinner table.

I’d like you to fill my parents with hope that I can survive out in the real world on my own, without the expectation of me coming ‘home’ every weekend with piles of washing and scrounging for food because I’ve spent all my money. Throughout this past year, I’d like to think that I’ve proven this to them somewhat, but knowing my parents, they might need a little bit of a nudge from you. And it certainly can’t hurt, can it?

To finish off my first “adult” letter to you I’m going to share something I recently read on the internet which inspired me to write this in the first place. “I know you’re busy, Santa. Don’t worry if you have a lot of other things to do, because I can wait. I can start doing this myself, too. I can spread hope and joy and cheesy blog posts and hard work and a critical eye and happiness. I have a lot of those to give.”

Thanks in advance,

Richard, 21.

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