Victoria senior inspired by letter from Santa 75 years ago

Victoria -

Robin Jones is celebrating the season in style, dressed in bright red from head to toe.

“And look!” Robin laughs, pulling up his red pant leg from his red shoes to reveal red polka-dot socks. “Matching socks!”

The festive fashionisto was planning to wear a matching shirt under his red jacket too, but he chose black instead, to accentuate his accoutrement — a necklace made from Christmas lights attached to a silver Christmas tree.

“My wife used to wear it at Christmastime,” Robin says. “It was one of her favourites.”

Robin lost his beloved Kit four years ago. But not before she helped him find a love for writing poetry when he was 70 years old.

“Whenever our hands are touching and you squeeze a little bit more,” Robin begins reciting one of his recent works. “I can feel the love within you and it’s all I can do not to roar.”

Now 80 years old, Robin writes a poem a day, which he regularly sends to his friends to express his gratitude for them.

“I love telling people that I love them,” Robin smiles. “And they love it as well!”

One of the greatest expressions of love Robin has experienced was delivered in a letter he received 75 years ago, during the winter he was battling for his life in hospital.

“I could see the concern in my parents' faces when they came in,” Robin said. His dad would visit him daily and read stories to him in the hospital bed.

After the five-year-old had been there for many days, suffering from a brutal bout of pneumonia, his dad presented him with an envelope.

“He said, ‘I think it’s from Santa Claus.’” Robin smiles.

The letter — which Robin has kept all these years — was handwritten in red ink, in a style he didn’t recognize. In the top right corner was written, ‘North Pole. December 14, 1949.’ In the top left corner, it began with ‘Dear Robin.’

“Did your mommy or daddy ever tell you how I got my elves?” Robin says, reading the part of the letter that had felt particularly meaningful for him at the time.

It mentioned that when children go to heaven they have a choice: to become an angel, or work as one of Santa’s elves.

“He gives you a magic pair of shoes and an elf’s outfit,” Robin explains. “And at the speed of light you go up to the North Pole.”

Robin recalls being delighted by the proposition.

While he’s unsure if the letter was written to prepare him for the worst, Robin has no doubt it helped his fears fade, his health improve, and his return home just in time to celebrate Christmas with his family.

“It was fantastic,” Robin smiles.

Just as Robin’s wife inspired him to express his love for others through poetry after her death, his Dad’s hospital delivery inspired Robin to publish a children's book about his experience called 'Letters from Santa Claus,' under the pen name Waring Jones, to offer hope for children struggling with their health over the holidays.

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved,” Robin smiles.

A sentiment that, no matter the season, never goes out of fashion.