As Christmas approaches, the postal services are continuing to receive letters to Santa Claus. Unlike previous years, the letters to Santa in 2020 strike a different tone, as kids' words reflect the devastating impact that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has had on families.
As shown in photos of the letters provided by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to People.com, children and their parents are asking for more practical things for Christmas this year.
Many have asked Santa to provide a cure for COVID-19, while others have mentioned how their parents are unable to afford presents because they lost their jobs.
One child wrote a note to Santa and mentioned how "this year has been very tough."
"I lost my daddy and my grandpa, and my mommy is having a rough time," the child added. "Maybe you can send her some happiness."
In another letter, a boy who asked for a specific game wrote, "Most of these days in COVID, I feel really down in the dumps and that game will kinda be like my way to escape reality."
A single mother of three, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, also penned a letter to Santa and asked for a new vehicle because she could not afford to "get the transmission fixed" and "public transit is not safe for the kids."
"I'm not asking for a brand new vehicle. Just in need of a van or a large-sized four-door car that can get us from dr appointments and the kids to school," the mom wrote.
In other letters obtained by CNN, children discussed the challenges of remote learning and one mentioned how their mom "can't get anything for me for Christmas because she is not getting paid as much so she cannot afford anything."
