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Holly Wheeler only had one Christmas wish this year and it was SUPER important. So important she had to walk down to the post office to mail it herself. Her one wish was for her older brother to get better. She knew something was wrong, her mom had told her that nothing was wrong, Mikey had said the same thing, but she knew, in her little 6 year old brain, that something was wrong. She just had no idea what. Santa could fix it though. He could grant every Christmas wish. Even if it wasn't a toy or some candy she wanted, she believed he could fix her brother. Her brother who used to make time to play with her even if his friends had invited him somewhere, her brother who would tell her stories to soothe her nightmares even if her mommy told that she needed to suck it up. Her brother was the strongest person ever, he just needed a little help. A little help to be able to wake up and get out of bed in the mornings, mommy said he was lazy, but Holly didn't think so, Mikey wasn’t lazy, he never had been. Mommy just didn’t understand that Mikey was different from Nancy, Mommy was always comparing the two, in everything. Mikey needed some help, help to eat. He never ate anymore and Holly couldn’t understand why, food was so yummy, but if he needed help with that too it was okay. Something had knocked him down and he needed help to get back up. Help to stop coming home late, smelling weird, coming in through his window. He just needed help, everyone needed help sometimes. Holly wished she could help him herself, but she had no idea how. Mikey always knew how to help her so she turned to the more powerful things, her Christmas wish year was for her brother to get better. It had to happen, she’d explained everything in her letter to Santa, the one she had sat down with a dictionary to get all the words right, the one she was rereading right now on her way to the post office.
Dear Santa,
I hope this letter gets to you safely because my Christmas wish is very important this year. It’s probably not the most important, Mikey always says that people have it way worse than us so he shouldn’t complain, he means just himself, that whatever knocked him down shouldn't have because some people have it worse. Me, I think that no matter how big or small all problems matter. That’s actually what this letter is about, my brother Mikey. Something has gotten him down, he won’t say what, but it’s really hurt him. He needs your help. He needs your help with lots of things. He needs your help to wake up early and make silly jokes with me before school, he needs your help to eat things again. He used to love all the yummy foods mommy makes but now he barely touches them, he needs help to fall back asleep at night. He needs help to stop leaving without telling mommy and daddy, to stop coming home really late, smelling weird. I only know because I have nightmares and he’s the only one who takes them seriously. I used to be able to go into his room and wake him up. He’d let me climb into bed with him and he'd pat my hair and tell me silly stories until I fell asleep. My big brother was the best, he still is, but now he’s sad and I want him to be happy again. I miss him. Please help him, It’s all I want for Christmas.
Sincerely, Holly Wheeler.
P.S. Mikey taught me that word, sincerely, he also taught how to write letters right.