One whole year has passed since COVID began, and with vaccine availability in place, people are somewhat able to experience normal life again. The holiday season is rapidly approaching and Santa Jr.(taking over for his father Santa Claus) along with his sister Stella Claus have been busy preparing the thousands of gifts to bless children with. They just couldn’t wait to see the smiles on kids’ faces as they opened up their presents.

   Lately, however, not all has been well in the North Pole. A winter storm is brewing and with the new Omicron variant emerging, it was starting to look like the North Pole would be forced back into lockdown. As the clock was ticking, Santa Jr. and Stella grew anxious to see what would happen next. On December 23rd, just two days before Christmas, the North Pole governor John Doe ordered the entire city to go on lockdown, saying “With the increased number of COVID cases and the potential danger of the Omicron variant, the city will be on lockdown until further notice.” Santa Jr and Stella were absolutely crushed about Christmas being cancelled.

   While it may have initially seemed like a horrible thing, it may have been a blessing in disguise. During the course of the lockdown, Santa Jr. and Stella were able to do a lot of self-growth and reflection. They realized what truly matters in life: the small things. Santa Jr. said “It’s easy to get caught up in the materialistic things but in a time like this, what truly matters is the small things like having a roof over our head, good health and family.” With the new year nearby, Stella wants to focus her attention on enjoying all the time possible with friends and family before going off to college. She has plans to attend North Pole College Academy to pursue a degree in acting. As for Santa Jr., he remains focused on maintaining his father’s legacy for years to come and hopes that kids all over the world are able to understand that the true gifts in life aren’t materialistic, but should center around the things that really matter: health and family.