Let’s face it… this holiday season is not as “holly jolly” as it normally is. COVID has really altered our holiday happiness this year. For some people, it might be the loss of a loved one. For others, it can be the loss of a job or a home. COVID has been a life changer.
I work with children. Currently there is a “holiday pause” for in-person learning. That means ALL children have to work remotely until January 19, 2021, at which time it will be decided if in-person learning can resume or not.
Until that time, me and my co-workers have to assist children with their online classes and school work. Let’s just say it’s NOT easy to keep kids online for that long, most especially Kindergartners.
I have been trying to keep up the holiday spirit with the children. I decorated our work space, I’ve printed out holiday coloring pages and we’ve been doing holiday related crafts. This coming week the kids will be decorating their own gingerbread houses. I have already created individual bags of candy, and I’ll be adding other things to the bags (graham crackers, pretzels, marshmallows…) so that the children do not risk contaminating food that other children might touch or eat.
To keep my holiday spirits up, I have been watching a lot of holiday films and programs.
There is a new documentary that was just released that is sure to make your heart smile. It’s called Dear Santa.
Dear Santa shines a light on the 100-year-old ‘Operation Santa’ Program of the United States Postal Service.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa arrive at Post Offices around the country. Through Operation Santa, the United States Postal Service makes it possible for the public to safely adopt these letters and make children’s dreams come true.
The film invites audiences along for the magic of this massive endeavor. Traveling the country, much like Santa does on Christmas Eve, the film focuses on select ‘Operation Santa’ Centers: some in metropolitan areas like the massive operation in New York City and others in small towns where the Post Office is the heart of the community.
The film highlights letters where a child is asking for something poignant, something that goes beyond the common wish for a toy. Santa will explain how he enlists kind hearted strangers across the country for these special requests while he concentrates on toy making, and his demanding delivery schedule.
This timeless documentary captures the warmth and spirit of Christmastime through the lens of this great American tradition, provoking audiences throughout the world to ask themselves how they can make the world a better place, one gesture at a time.
I was suppose to review this film, but I didn’t have the chance to due to my job (I’m just too exhausted and drained when I get home). I really wanted to see this. I KNOW this is the type of movie everyone should see right now. I think it would help to boost people’s spirits, make people feel better about what they do have in their lives, and ideally, encourage people to get involved with this organization or similar ones across the country.
I told my husband that this year, instead of buying a lot of useless stuff for each other, or our adult children, I wanted to do something nice for someone else. So far I’ve bought fancy cookies to give to the lunch ladies at work, as well as the custodians. We’ve also donated a lot of toys to a local Toys for Tot organization.
I really wanted to get a letter from a child, and make their wish come true (hopefully), but I haven’t had the opportunity to track down a local organization. I’m not sure if it’s too late or not, but I’m going to make extra certain that next year I can be involved in some way.
Look for this film at a theater near your, or on VOD (video on demand) streaming services.
Even if you don’t see the film, I hope that you will at least watch the heart-warming trailer (below).
Kimberly
*I was going to screen the movie, but I never had the chance to. I was not compensated for this post. I am sharing this in hopes that people will get involved in this, or similar, organizations.
