This Mom Has a Brilliant Hack For Military Families Who Can't Be Together on Christmas

One of the first things anyone will tell you about being a military or first responder spouse is that there are no set schedules. For the children of these brave warriors and heroes, there are many missed dates, including birthdays, school plays and performances, and major holidays. These special and important days will very often be celebrated late or early when the family can actually be together, or skipped entirely sometimes.

This is exactly what Stephanie Davisson was dealing with when she came up with her idea for alternative delivery dates for Santa Claus. In a now viral Facebook post, Stephanie shared a letter she made from the desk of Santa Claus, in which he explained to her children that he does special trips for kids like them who can't always be with their entire family on Christmas. It then lists a few alternative dates for his gift delivery and a message about how Christmas isn't about when you celebrate it, but how.

This beauty of this letter is that it can easily be adapted for more than just the children of military members and first responders. In her post, Stephanie also included Google Doc links for divorced families, flight crew families, and even one for general use.

While it's being widely spread now, Stephanie originally thought it was a fun thing to share with just those closest to her. "I initially posted it for friends only," she told POPSUGAR. "But a friend asked me to make it public, and here we are! I'm very blessed to have been able to help so many people. If it's helped someone this season, I hope they pay it forward."

Being part of a military or first responder family is such a blessing, but it can be hard to manage sometimes. Stephanie's letter from Santa is the perfect reminder that with a little thought and creativity (and support from other families just like us), you can not only always make things work, but make them magical, too.