From the Editor

Dear Santa, 

 

For Christmas I would really like it if you would remove "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" off of every radio station's Christmas playlist next year. I find myself singing it while I am cooking. Singing it while I am cleaning. Singing it while I am in the car, and even when I am in the shower. As a matter of fact, just remove the word hippopotamus from the dictionary period. We can think of something else nifty to call the hippopotamus....oh no....I feel it coming on again... no rhinoceroseses I only like hippopotamuseses..... Do you see Santa? I can't stop singing it! It's a cute little song, but it is so annoying. Even my co-worker thinks so too. So much, I am sure she will strangle me if she even hears the H word again. By the way, there is one little boy's letter that has been sent to you. His name is Ethan Reeder. All he asked to have for Christmas is that his family and the whole world have joy and peace.  I read this letter that the second grader wrote to you Santa. I think my eyes swelled up with tears as I read it. He didn't want toys. He didn't want the latest video game. He asked for joy and peace, not just for himself, but the WHOLE world. That is a lot of love from a little second grader's heart. Wouldn't it be nice if the whole world were peaceful? I imagine in the mind of a child that world peace would be simple to conquer. But it isn't as easy as just thinking it and letting it be that way. The reason is because not everyone wants peace. If they did, we wouldn't see all of the turmoil, hostages, bombings, terroristic threats and sadness we see in the world today. But it doesn't hurt to wish for peace just as little Ethan Reeder did in his letter to you Santa. I know that Jesus heard his Christmas wish. Maybe you can give him a nice toy for Christmas. Even though he didn't ask for one, I think his selflessness and love for others qualifies him for a nice toy this Christmas. He didn't ask you for a toy, but I am asking you to give him one.

I haven't told you what I want for Christmas. My wish for Christmas is that all of our readers in and around Morris County, as well as my family, have a Merry Christmas, full of joy and peace from Ethan's wish. And please, please, please, please if a child asks for a hippopotamus for Christmas, make sure it's a toy one. I think the girl in the song doesn't really understand that a hippo isn't going to fit in her garage. And by the time she finishes giving him a massage she'll have corpal tunnel in her hands.Not to mention the MESS it would create. Oh my, I have to go. That song is coming on the radio AGAIN. Could you expedite getting it off of the radio PLEASE! Thanks Santa! Merry Christmas!

Love, 

Ben