It’s hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner. People are rushing to get in some last minute Christmas shopping and to make sure that they are ready for the big day. Sometimes we may stop and think about what Christmas means to many of us and it’s a good idea to do so.

Getting presents on Christmas morning is a lot of fun and the food is delicious. Even taking a moment to stare at the colorful lights is quite relaxing but aside from the material things, there is something else that money can’t buy.

This is something that is understood by a nine-year-old girl named Riley. She managed to touch the hearts of people around the world with a simple letter.

Children everywhere will write letters to Santa Claus and many of us may have done so when we were children. We might ask him for something special, such as a gaming console or a fire truck. For a young girl named Ryley, a letter was sent to Santa at Lowe’s in Millville while she was out with her parents on a shopping trip.

It turns out that Riley wasn’t asking for a gift. She was giving more of a request and it went like this:

“Dear Santa, kids in my class say your not real, but I still believe. I hope that doesn’t mean I’m a baby. Also my friend lost her dad, and her family is living in her friend’s backyard. Please help! I hope it is ok to not ask for a present.”

When employees at Lowe’s were sifting through the letters they found her simple request. They were surprised by what it had to say.

The department manager at Lowe’s Millville, Kevin Betchner said the following to a local news station:

“Well that’s there’s a kid that’s really selfless and wants to do something for one of her friends and also that there’s a child out there in this situation in the holiday season.”

He wanted to meet Riley face-to-face so they shared a picture of the letter on social media. It wasn’t long before the Internet got involved and Kevin was able to reach her family in Buena Vista.

Tony and Jenna Bylone are the parents of Riley and they couldn’t be more proud. They raised their children to have those selfless thoughts and to wish good things on other people.

Fortunately, the friend of Riley isn’t exactly in such a bad situation but a social worker is looking after the family, just to make sure.

You can learn more about her gesture in this video: