An open letter to Mrs. Claus

Mrs. Claus
c/o North Polar-Santa Claus
P.O. Box 50699
North Pole, Alaska 99705-1099

Dear Mrs. Claus,

Can I call you Jessica? I just feel so close to you this time of year. I think we are basically living parallel lives at the moment. While our husbands are at their busiest (mine with grading, reading grad school applications and revising manuscripts, and yours with all that mall sitting, posing for photos and collecting gift requests) we are left to manage the usual household chores in addition to all of the extra gift list checking, shopping, baking, present wrapping, holiday newsletter writing and addressing, preparing boxes for shipping, trips to the post office, and don't even get me started on the additional events we have to attend for our little elves. It's a wonder that either of us have a spare second for the Starbucks' drive-thru!

But seriously, I just wanted to write to give you a pat on the back of sorts and to let you know that I think you are doing a marvelous job of being the strong, supportive, behind-the-scenes partner. Although I know that your husband is working overtime, it's clear that he is getting much of the credit for what certainly takes two to accomplish. I see his face EVERYWHERE these days, hear his name mentioned in advertising jingles every other minute, I even ate a cookie in his likeness. However, I know that behind every Santa getting all the attention and honor there is a busy collaborator and companion helping to make it all happen.

For example, I recently saw all the hard work you did negotiating with those beastly Meister brothers on your husband's behalf featured in that animated documentary, "The Year Without a Santa Claus." Based on your fast-talking, peace-keeping performance, the Bush administration should be contacting you to help out with that middle eastern business! Way to go!

Although the negotiation was important work, I know well that it is all of the little taken-for-granted tasks that make up your essential role as wife and mother -– rising at 3 a.m. to cuddle an elf with a leg ache, scheduling the quarterly tune-up of the sleigh, remembering to buy a little something for the carpentry tutor, making sure that everyone has coordinating outfits for the annual Claus photo, making sure that there are enough supplies on hand to decorate a gingerbread house, and finding just the right little something to fill everyone's stockings for Christmas morning.

For all of the many things that you (and all mothers do), I thank you and wish you a very happy holiday.

Sincerely,
Another busy DotMom

Amy Heesacker is a thirty-something SAHM and part-time psychology professor living in the deep South with her husband and two children.

Comments

[MotherPie]

Cute letter! Holiday cheers.

[Christine]

This is hysterical!

[shaz]

haha, cute.

[Anjali]

How adorable! Great post.