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Every year right after Thanksgiving my mom asks my sister, Alex and I for our Christmas list, or when we were younger our letters to Santa, so she could “mail them out.”

Like most children and even some adults, I believed Santa could make anything happen. While pets are common on most wish list, I could not ask for a dog or cat, or even bunny rabbit because I was highly allergic. Luckily, Santa dodged a bullet on that one, or so he thought.

Months before Christmas, I became obsessed with the movie the Adventures of Scamper the Penguin.

If you’ve never seen this movie, it’s animated so not quite like March of the Penguins ( I had a very unrealistic view of what penguins really looked like.) Scamper, a young boy penguin lives in Antarctica with his family and fellow girl friend penguin, Snowflake. He and Snowflake go on an adventure and meet a real human being, who is a friendly scientist doing research on Antarctic life. They also meet a dog named Cowboy. However, they soon learn not all humans are as friendly as the scientist and are captured by trappers. Eventually, the scientist and Cowboy save the day and return Scamper and Snowflake home to their scared penguin parents. I watched this movie almost weekly; that is when I began telling Santa and all other family members I wanted a penguin for Christmas.

My parents were horrified. They explained to me that just like in the movie, penguins have to live where it’s cold and Georgia just isn’t right for a penguin to live. They suggested maybe asking Santa for something else.

I thought long and hard about what they said and added a walk in freezer to my list. My parents were stumped. I told them my plan for Santa to bring a huge freezer that my penguin and I could play in. I would wear a coat and gloves in there and only play with him on really cold days.

Again, my parents told me that wasn’t fair to the penguin. Penguins needed a lot more room than just a freezer. They made me rewatch my movie and showed me how Scamper and Snowflake played on the icebergs and needed fish to eat, and they couldn’t get all that in a walk in freezer, plus there was no where in our house for that large freezer I spoke of.

I was so confused in my little mind. I scribbled out my list again and put go to Antarctica to meet the penguins. There was no way Santa couldn’t at least do that, since I couldn’t have one. My poor parents couldn’t win this battle if they wanted to. They said only scientist, just as in the movie, were allowed in Antarctica it’s too cold for regular people. I knew all hope was lost and that Santa couldn’t get me a penguin no matter what way I looked at it.

I woke up Christmas morning in my p.j’s and ran into the den, where I spotted a stuffed, blue penguin wearing a scarf. It was no real penguin, who plays in a freezer, but Santa made sure a penguin was sitting on our couch come Christmas morning. My new stuffed penguin, Snowball and I played together for a long time that day. If my mind recalls correctly, we even watched his friends Snowflake and Scamper play on the movie, again!

Santa is truly a magical man. He makes even the most impossible dreams come true. I am thankful for that magical man; his imagination and love for this penguin obsessed little girl makes me smile at the memory every year.

May your Christmas morning be filled with all the imagination and happiness in the world, because anything is possible with Santa Claus.