December 2026
Dear Mia,
Ho ho ho, from the coziest place on Earth! The workshop smells like pine shavings and cinnamon today. The elves are building, painting and wrapping, and they won’t stop singing while they do it. The snow outside is stacked so deep it squeaks when you walk on it. Mrs. Claus asked me to tell you that the cocoa pot down here has your name scratched into the handle. She swears it’s true.
You have a way of making the people around you glad it’s December. That is rarer than you think. Somehow you make ordinary days feel like small celebrations. Nobody teaches that; it’s a talent. I asked Mrs. Claus what to write to you this year. She said to keep it simple: you are wonderful, and everybody knows it.
Have a wonderful Christmas with your family. I’ll be thinking of you somewhere over the rooftops.
P.S. Remember: lights on, stockings out, and off to bed early. The sleigh runs on schedule, and I’d hate to wake anyone.