There are so many things that bring joy to Highlands during the Christmas season. From the annual parade, which was once again a huge hit in 2019, to the variety of Christmas activities at local churches – there is a lot to see and do in the weeks leading up to St. Nicholas’ visit.
While Christmas is a holiday beloved by many, young and old, it’s children who seem to extract the most pure joy from the season.
Each year, we at The Highlander ask the staff at Highlands School to help the students prepare their letters to Santa Claus. Those letters can be found throughout the B section of today’s edition.
As we prepare the pre-Christmas edition, and we scour the letters to the North Pole, we learn a lot about the young people in our community and thus the community in general.
The shiny material gifts that are advertised prominently, in places where children are sure to see them, will always have their place on Christmas lists. There was no shortage of children who asked Santa to bring them an I-phone 11, a PlayStation 4, a Nintendo Switch, an X-Box or any other number of this year’s hottest toys and tech.
But as is the case most Decembers, a large portion of the student letter writers asked for things bigger than their own wants. From one student who just hoped to get a chance to see her uncle, to another who’s request included a safe pregnancy and childbirth for her mother, there were a number of children who used their Christmas wishes to tackle bigger issues than unwrapping a new toy.
In today’s society it is very easy to become consumed with the things that bring immediate satisfaction – especially for children. The fact that so many thought of others in their Christmas lists is a promising sign that the next generation of citizens still has the proper understanding of what it means to be thoughtful and help others.
From the staff at The Highlander, we would like to say thank you to the students and teachers of Highlands School for their Santa letters submissions.
Merry Christmas to all!
