What Happened When My Child Had An Impossible Wish for Santa

A challenging request leads to real holiday magic

When my daughter was 6, she put one thing and one thing only on her wish list. “Dear Santa,” Libby wrote on a piece of pink stationary in her first-grade-best handwriting. “I want a magic wand for Christmas. One that is very beautiful and fits in my pocket.” Before she signed off, she added, “Please can I have one that really works.”

I was stymied. Even if Santa brought her a wand, what would happen if it didn’t work the way she wanted it to? “Is there anything else you want to add to the list?” I asked her.

“Nope,” she replied. “That’s it.” She sealed the letter and put it in the mail.

A week later, I took her to see the Santa at the mall, hoping a conversation with the big guy might reveal some other desired gift. But, no. “I want a magic wand, please,” she declared to Santa definitively. “One that fits in my pocket, is very beautiful and really works.”

As the holiday approached, I fretted more and more. Finally, on Christmas Eve I decided that Santa would do the best he could. I crossed my fingers and tried not to stress too much about it.

In the morning, Libby found a slim package wrapped in silvery paper by her stocking. Inside was a narrow wand, light pink in…