SECRET KIDS TELL SANTA

of What Children Really Ask Santa Claus

Many years after returning home from the Vietnam War, I had the opportunity to play Santa Claus. It seemed like something I might enjoy, but I could never have predicted the impact it would have on my life. As it turned out, wearing the red suit became the best job I ever had.

While a few skeptical children questioned my credentials, most fully embraced the magic. They happily climbed onto my knee to whisper their Christmas wishes. Many questioned me about my beard, my boots, and my bag of toys, or asked for stories about the North Pole and the nine famous reindeer. But other children brought me heavier concerns, asking Santa to help with the painful problems they were facing at home.

I quickly realized that being Santa required much more than a costume. I had to become knowledgeable about Santa’s history and reindeer lore. More importantly, I had to learn how to make children who were hurting feel safe enough to share what was on their minds.

I am sharing this story because trauma wears many faces. For a long time, I carried crushing guilt from my time in Vietnam, rooted in my experiences with the children at an orphanage in Mỹ Tho. That trauma convinced me that I should never father children of my own—a decision I deeply regret today.

But for fifteen years on that Santa stage, I listened to the hearts of children of all ages, from toddlers to seniors. I discovered that truly listening to their dreams, desires, and raw confessions unlocked the love I had kept barricaded in my heart for decades. It began to fill a void that had remained inside me since my days at the orphanage in Vietnam.

Sitting in that grand chair beside the decorated tree, surrounded by garlands and glass bulbs, I rediscovered a piece of my soul I thought I had lost in the war. Stepping into Santa’s role helped me begin to heal wounds that had festered since my discharge from the Army.

This book is a collection of those moments—some hilarious, others deeply sorrowful. On some days, I felt less like a holiday icon and more like a counselor, simply listening to what children needed to share. I believe this book has something to offer both children and adults.

Beyond the holiday cheer, I hope these stories remind us that peace is possible. If you are carrying trauma or guilt, you can find a way forward. Sometimes, the most unexpected experiences are the ones that help fill the emptiness within us and bring us home to ourselves.

Scripture reminds us that God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received (2 Corinthians 1:4). In sharing these experiences, I hope to show how empathy and compassion can bring comfort to children—and help us rediscover healing within ourselves.