What If You Don’t Know What to Ask Santa For?

Tilly Inkwell opened a letter with only two sentences inside.

Dear Santa,

I don’t know what I want. Can I still write to you?

Tilly carried it to the sorting table.

“Of course,” said Juniper Jingle. “Where shall we start?”

“The child doesn’t have a list,” Pip said.

“A letter doesn’t need one,” Juniper replied.

Dottie pointed to a drawing of a purple cat. “This child sent a picture.”

Atlas held up a note about learning to ride a bicycle.

“And this one contains a joke,” Tilly said. “What do snowmen eat for breakfast?”

“Ice cereal?” guessed Pip.

“Snowflakes.”

Pip nodded seriously. “A strong breakfast choice.”

The elves gathered examples around the small letter.

A question. A story. A thank-you. A hope.

A message that said, “My grandma makes funny pancakes.”

A card with one enormous HELLO.

When Santa came downstairs, Tilly showed him the child’s question.

“I would love to hear about their world,” Santa said. “What interests them? What made them laugh? Is there something they want me to know?”

“And if they don’t know that either?” Pip asked.

“They can start with hello.”

So if you aren’t sure what to ask Santa for, you can write about your favorite game, a person you love, or something you are learning.

You can draw a picture.

You can ask a question.

You can say that you feel excited, worried, or unsure.

You can leave a space blank and come back later. You can ask a grown-up to write your words while you speak.

And if you do have a wish, you can share it. Wishes are welcome too, even though a letter cannot promise what gifts will arrive.

There is no shopping-list requirement at Santa’s Mail Station.

Sometimes a very good beginning is simply:

Dear Santa,

Hello.