Monica’s Lite was Brite
I have a story from 25 years ago...
Monica was a spirited girl, always running around, playing tennis, and jumping on the trampoline. She lived in a quiet North End neighborhood with her older brother Kevin. They grew up in a peaceful corner of town near a golf course and the community pool, with Franklin Elementary just around the corner.
One Christmas in the late '90s, Monica, then 9 years old, wrote me a letter telling me all about her life. She shared how well she was doing in school, how her dad was a firefighter saving people from dangerous flames, and how her mom worked odd jobs but always made Kevin and Monica her top priority.
In her letter, Monica listed a few Christmas wishes: the latest Barbie, a PlayStation game, a handheld game called Lights Out—but her biggest wish was a Lite Brite. You see, Monica wasn’t exactly afraid of the dark, but she didn’t like it either. A Lite Brite was the perfect present for her, allowing her to create beautiful, colorful pictures she could see at night.
She described all the amazing pictures she’d create with a Lite Brite—elephants, sailboats, mountains, cars, and unicorns. Her excitement practically jumped off the page as she wrote, “Santa, if there’s one thing I want this year, it’s the new Lite Brite with extra colors. I want to make the most awesome pictures that will be the last thing I see before falling asleep. Then I can dream of unicorns and sailboats... and I won’t have to worry about the dark. Monica. PS: Don’t forget Kevin; he’s nice most of the time.”
Reading Monica’s letter was such a joy. I knew I couldn’t let this little girl down.
The elves wrapped the gift with perfection, and I made sure her Lite Brite was the centerpiece of her gifts that year.
That Christmas morning, when Monica opened the newest version of Lite Brite with extra colors, it took her breath away. She was so excited she could barely wait until nightfall to start creating magical pictures. She didn’t even wait to open the rest of her gifts.
She opened the box, sorted the colors, and started building her first picture… two glowing ducks. When she was finished, she carried her Lite Brite into the closet, closing the door behind her.
Her dad chuckled, calling, “What’s going on in there, Monica? Making a secret masterpiece?” Monica answered, “It’s top secret, Dad. But you can peek—my ducks are glowing; they look amazing!”
Her creativity blossomed. Soon she was creating her own designs and patterns. Her parents often found her admiring her latest masterpiece. Even Kevin joined in sometimes, helping her create complex scenes and sharing in those lasting memories with his sister. This early love for creating with light set Monica on a journey to brighten the world.
For me… moments like these teach me to see the world through the eyes of the children I deliver to.
I’m sentimental—I’ll admit it. Stories like Monica’s remind me why I do what I do. They inspire me to keep spreading the magic of giving, the power of believing, and to remember that sometimes, the smallest gifts bring the greatest joy.
Thank you for joining me. Box of Santa Stories.
