Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I have not been an angel this year, but I have not been a hellion, either.  I cleaned my house occasionally, I talked to my children lots, I usually did my homework, I went to school choir concerts and fast food restaurants and other things my kids were doing.  I also snapped at my long-suffering husband, fed my dogs fattening human treats, and skipped church once just because I was sleepy.

Still, I’ve seen the extravagant gifts other people sometimes get, and I don’t think I’m any better or worse than them.  So here’s my Christmas list for 2010:

·         A pair of really fabulous pumps designed and made by Christian Louboutin, and if you could make sure I’m buried with them, that’d be great.

·         A less divided political system.  I’d like to see politicians from all political parties willing to listen to and work with each other.  While more cooperation is on the table, perhaps you could make the general public more willing to listen to members of the other political party, and less willing to blast and deride other opinions and goals.

·         A more agile brain, if possible.  I work really hard in school, and I don’t learn as much or as fast as I should.  I promise to do my homework if you’ll bring me a way to remember what I study.

·         A Kindle to store all the books I want to own and read without having to increase the amount of stuff I have to dust.

·         A more charitable heart.  Or a more repentant heart.  Or both, if it’s not too much trouble.

·         A singing voice that won’t frighten the cat.

·         Opportunities to share my faith.  I trust in God, I believe in Christ, I rely on the Holy Ghost to see me through life, but I don’t share my source of comfort very often.  I don’t want to offend or startle my friends, so maybe if a couple of them would ask about my religion, I’d be happy to answer them.

·         Just one day when all of the bathrooms in my house are clean at the same time.

·         A new refrigerator.

·         Since I get a new birthstone ring for each grandchild, if you could arrange for a grandchild to be born in April (birthstone, diamond) I’d sure appreciate it.  And if the parents of the grandchild love and respect each other and the baby, so much the better.

·         I know I have a lot, but a couple more nativity sets from different parts of the world might be fun.

·         Healthy family, happy friends, helpful neighbors, harmonious governments.

·         Peace in the middle east, freedom in North Korea, safety in Africa, food in Haiti.

Love, Les