Dear Santa

Today I learned about "Operation Santa Claus." It was started in the 1920s by workers in a New York post office. Every year the post office would receive hundreds of letters to Santa from poor children. The workers began to put their money together to send presents to the children. Now, members of the public are able to go to post offices and look through "Dear Santa" letters, choose up to ten and send gifts to the children described in them.
I went to the post office and chose two letters today. The first is from a single mother who lost her job this year; she has a four year old girl and a nine year old boy. The second is written by a friend of a single father with a one year old and a three year old; the father does not know the friend has written the letter for him. The cynical part of me wants to think that these folks may just be lobbying for some free stuff. But the Christmas loving sentimental side of me is thinking that buying these kids some gifts ($10 limit) and sending them with a note from "Santa" is a pretty simple and wonderful thing to do. So I am off to amazon to buy Rose some stuff and spend $40 on some kids I will never know, but may be able to make smile.