A friend once asked what I'd put in a letter to Santa now. I started laughing, then found I needed a little time to answer. Later, I looked up Santa's post office in Finnish Lapland. There is an address you can write to, and letters arrive from around the world.
I kept thinking about that pause before my answer. The question had sounded like an invitation to be ridiculous. Somehow, taking it seriously for a moment felt more embarrassing.
Comic transcript
Panel 1. Helen sits at a kitchen table with a pen and paper. Tom looks at what she is doing.
Tom: "You're writing to Santa?"
Helen: "Just for a laugh."
Panel 2. A close-up of Helen's letter. Her pen rests after the last word. No dialogue. The letter reads:
Dear Santa,
A whole Saturday
with nothing to catch up on.
Please.
