AUG 22, 2016 – lucky (Ryan’s elf on the shelf) visited today! This was the text in the letter that was with him. It came after a horrible day yesterday.

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HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO Ryan!!!!!!!

Yep – you’re not dreaming. It’s me. Your Christmas-time pal. Boy did I miss you!!!

So you may be asking why I’m here. I will say that typically we’re not allowed to travel this time of year. In fact, no elves are supposed to make contact with their families until we get into the November timeframe. But Santa contacted me last night with what he called “an emergency.”

Ryan, I understand you’ve been having a difficult few days recently with your family. Specifically yesterday. Santa said you seemed very upset all day long. He was watching you for a while and got a little concerned at your reaction to some of the things your parents were trying to tell you.

Ryan I want you to know that your parents love you unconditionally. When your dad was trying to spend time with you in the garage working on mini KITT, he got very sad when you didn’t try to enjoy that time with him. You were more concerned about seeing your friends or not going to BJ’s. But now you’ll never get that time with your dad back again. That day is over.

Santa was also shocked when you started getting upset in the living room and actually threw your shoes across the room. That is NOT the type of person you are Ryan!!  Why would you do something like that?

Then at the end of the day your dad suggested taking a family trip to see fireworks. Again, he wanted to spend family time together watching a beautiful display of lights. Why did you get all emotional about that? He was just trying to do something nice for you guys.

Ryan – Santa’s been keeping a close eye on you lately and he noticed one of the biggest lessons your dad and mom are trying to teach you in life is to appreciate what you have, and appreciate how much they actually do for you. A perfect example is when they bought you four pairs of shoes yesterday at Target. Do you realize that most of your friends only got ONE pair? Some friends don’t even get that. And yet your parents bought you four pairs of shoes, despite the fact they aren’t making any money right now. The least you could do is say something nice to them, like “guys – I really appreciate what you got for me. I am very lucky to have these.” Santa also got very upset when you gave them a hard time about not getting a toy you wanted after the shoe shopping.

Common Ryan – that isn’t the type of person you really are, is it!!?? You appreciate what they do for you, don’t you??

So you may be asking why I’m here. Well first, I love seeing you. Second, Santa sent me here. He wanted me to keep an eye on you today. Third, I understand that your dad gave you a mission for today. He asked you to think about doing an activity that someone else wants to do. And I see why he’s doing it. We’ve noticed that all summer long, your mom and dad have primarily only done the things YOU want to do. Isn’t it time you offered to do something they wanted to do?

For example, maybe today you can tell mommy (or your friends) something like:

– Thank you for playing with me. Would you like to work in the office for an hour?

– What would you like to do for the next hour together? I’ll play anything you want.

– Are there any games or activities you would like to do now mommy?

– Would you like me to help you organize or clean the room?

– Would you like me to help make dinner?

– Are the any errands you need to run today? How can I help?

So today Ryan, I am going to keep an eye out for that. This is very important. I need to see that you are thinking about other people and not just thinking about yourself. I need to see that you are considering the feelings of what other people want to do. I need to know that you are willing to share the day equally with other people, where you do some stuff that you want to do, and some stuff that they want to do.

Your dad said he’s going to ask you tonight what you did to help other people or to think about other people. I know you can do this Ryan. You’re an amazing boy. Please don’t disappoint your parents, me, or Santa. We’re all counting on you!

Have an amazing day buddy. Can’t wait to spend some time with you!!  -L-