Dear Santa,

It’s been a busy year. I’ve mostly been good. You see everything, and you therefore know all of this, but I feel compelled to tell you anyway. Tradition, I suppose!

Sorry that our correspondence feels woefully one-sided. I hope this finds you well. I know this is your busy season! My best to your lovely wife.

Now that these pleasantries are out of the way. I’d like to respectfully petition for the following:

I would like to ask for kindness. Santa, it’s been a rough winter for a lot of people. Many are hurting. I live in a country where we are told that we exist in a land of opportunity, but where many people are hurting, sick, cold, poor, or alone. If you could, Santa, maybe bring some kindness to everyone who needs it this week.

I would like to ask for peace. Peace between cops and peace between protestors. Peace between journalists and peace between “journalists.” Peace between opposite sides of ideological issues. Peace between myself and that person on Facebook who TYPES IN ALL SHOUTY CAPS LIKE THIS and says things like NOW IF JUST OBAMA WOULD JUST… or I AM NOT A RACIST BUT…

I would like to ask for tolerance. I live in a country that is ostensibly founded on individual freedom, on the right to be different and unique — and yet I see a tremendous amount of intolerance in the way we treat one another. I would like for the world to figure out that the “other” – people who aren’t the same skin tone, perhaps, or wants to get married to someone of the same gender, or who have some wacky ideas about how government should work – that the “other” is actually not so very different at all. People are just people, and people are complicated, and it’s all a bit of mess, but tolerance is a good place to begin. Start with the people on television. I think they could use an extra helping, Santa, if I might be so bold.

I would like to ask for money. Not just for me, Santa – that’s not what I’m about. I mean, it’s an entirely bleak economic landscape out there for the freelancers and the artists, but that’s not what I’m saying right now. I’m asking for money for those who need it. I’m asking you to consider inspiring some people to give money to charities that they like, instead of shelling out for cashmere sweaters, or a gift certificate to that salon that washes your hair with champagne.

Oh. And Santa. I’m asking for love.

I mean, not just for me personally, although god knows it would make every family function run a lot smoother if everyone could stop asking me how my love life is doing whilst making pointed comments about how nobody’s getting any younger and about how grandchildren are such a blessing.

The truth is, I have a lot of love in my life, if not in the “actual boyfriend” department. But I have some amazing friends and trusted colleagues and this weird and amazing community of people that read things that I write. I have people who hug me and people who think I’m terrific and people who text me funny jokes and people who make me laugh until I almost pee, and I am so blessed to have them. But I know that not everybody does. And those are the ones I worry about. So if you could do me a favor? It’s dark and dreary and depressing right now. Maybe just do a bit of wintry matchmaking? And make the trolls and the losers and the loners and the grinches feel a little less alone. Before they shoot someone or hurt someone or kill someone. Make their hearts a little bit bigger. Send them some love, before they become headlines. Before anyone else suffers.

I’m asking for compassion. I’m asking for wisdom. I’m asking for mindfulness. I’m asking for joy.

And I’m asking for myself, because I sure as shit could use all of those things in my daily life. But I’m asking for everyone else, too.

I know that’s a big ask, and I know this is a big time of year, so if you can’t make all of this happen, I get it. No pressure. Just do what you can.

And if all else fails, I wouldn’t say no to some fuzzy socks.

Love,

Katherine