When a second-grader at Southgate Elementary School in Glen Burnie, Maryland, was given an assignment to write a letter to someone, she decided to have a very honest talk with an important man: Santa.
“Dear Santa, I love the gifes you gave me last Chrismas!鈥� the letter begins. (All adorable spelling and grammar attributed to the original letter.)
But then, the 7-year-old relegates herself to Santa’s naughty list: “I鈥檝 been a little bad this year attchely I鈥檝 been bad at school and at home. I drive my mom crazy sometimes.”
She then comes to terms with the fact that great presents may not be waiting for her under the tree on Christmas morning: “I am fine if you give me a box of coal.”
Honest Self reflection! 鈦︹仼 鈦︹仼
鈥� Southgate Elementary (@SouthgateTigers)
The letter closes with an additional thought about her other failings this year: 鈥淵ou sould see my report card. I could do a little better and I think you would too! Marry Chrismas.”
When Southgate Elementary School principal Bonnie Myers saw the letter, she knew it was too good to keep to herself.
“When I read this little girl’s letter, it just caught my eye and it made me smile, and I wanted to make other people smile,鈥� Myers said. So, she tweeted it out on the school’s Twitter account.
She said in addition to being a cute read, it also reminds people that, sometimes, they should take advice from the little ones, that it鈥檚 OK to be honest and to reflect.
鈥淎t our school, one thing that we really work on is being very reflective and goal-setting and being honest, because we鈥檙e not perfect,鈥� Myers said. “I think that we need to take away that it鈥檚 OK, because tomorrow鈥檚 a new day and we all make mistakes, and sometimes, it鈥檚 even good to write down our reflections from time to time.”
Here鈥檚 hoping that girl鈥檚 honesty gets her some forgiveness from Santa instead of a box of coal.
