With love, Dad

Every Christmas, one Bristol mum’s daughters write a letter to their beloved dad in heaven.

It's a tradition which started after Stacey Oakley's partner, Matt, was tragically killed in a car accident near his home in October 2018, writes Peter Kirby.

Stacey obviously never expects a reply to the letters her little girls, Ava-Rose and Aurora-Grace, send each year. That’s why she was so surprised and delighted when the family received two perfectly decorated Christmas cards from ‘Matt in heaven,’ as well as a letter from Santa – wishing both girls a brilliant Christmas and reminding them to ‘hang up their stockings.’

‘I got this package in the post and thought it was junk mail,’ she told The Sun. ‘As I opened it, I was bawling my eyes out...I still am. It's so thoughtful. The care that went into it is extraordinary. There are good people out there.’

It turns out that the package was sent by Bristol Mail Centre shift manager, Sharon Byford, who said that one of her team had handed her a card asking what they should do with it.

‘I looked at it and said: “I understand. Leave it with me,”’ said Sharon. ‘It was a card addressed to “Daddy in Heaven.” It was from two little girls. You could tell by the writing.

‘I thought it was sad, especially with the year we’ve all had. I thought it might be nice to make a card for each child from their Dad. However, my husband felt it wasn’t appropriate to let them think it was from their Dad and suggested instead, that I send one from Santa saying that his friends at Royal Mail had seen the card and told Santa about it.

‘I made two cards plus a letter from Santa. I felt it was up to the girls’ mum to decide which, if any, of the cards were suitable to give to them along with the letter. I just thought it would be nice if it cheered them up as they obviously miss their Dad. I thought that would be the end of it.’

Both cards read: ‘Thank you so much my darling for my Christmas cards. With love, Dad xxx.’ The letter from Santa reads: ‘My good friends at Bristol Mail Centre told me about the lovely card you sent your daddy in heaven.

‘So, as I know you've been a good girl, I thought I would send you a card too and wish you a Merry Christmas and remind you to hang up your stocking. Love from Santa, the elves and all the reindeer.’

Sharon added a note stating that the office was ‘duty bound to return the card’ that Stacey’s daughters had sent. She said it had touched colleagues and she hoped ‘this didn't cause offence.’

In reply, Stacey told The Sun: ‘I want the people at the sorting office to know their gesture really didn't cause any offence. I haven't given the cards to the girls yet because I was too emotional, but I will give them the Santa ones and I reckon they’ll be so excited.

‘I think I will put the ones from Matt in their memory boxes. It might be too difficult to explain right now how he's managed to contact them. I am hugely touched with the thought that went into these cards though. It’s made my Christmas.’