Inside today’s paper you will find our annual “Letters to Santa” sections. As usual, the sections are packed with letters written by tiny hands stating the Christmas wishes they hope the big guy to grant. Many also contain, perhaps with an eye toward inclusion on the “nice” list, wishes for other members of their families and even the entire community and world.

They are the very embodiment of innocence, and as in years past they may provoke a chuckle and a tear or two, but this year these letters have an even greater significance.

In light of the terrible shooting at a Connecticut elementary school Friday, it is impossible not to see these letters as ones that could have been written by some of those 20 children who lost their lives Friday. They could just as easily be wishes that parents (and Santa) will never get the opportunity to fulfill.

So this year as you flip through the pages of the “Letters to Santa” sections, take a moment to be thankful for the gift and potential each of these young letter writers represents. And as you enter the final days before Christmas, learn to see the world through their eyes, and try not to become impatient with them.

Friday’s events reminded the country that each day is a gift, so hold those children tight and teach them well because you never know what tomorrow may hold.