Find out why this woman answers letters to Santa

What started as a simple holiday decoration over 20 years ago has turned into a Christmas tradition. For years, a bright red and white mailbox with the words "Santa's Mail, North Pole" has sat outside the Edmonds, Washington Visitors Center. So it only makes sense that children have been drawn to drop their letters to Santa inside.

One day, Rich Lindsay, a longtime worker in the city's Parks Department, decided to open up the box. He was astonished to find a huge pile of envelopes inside.

"He came home and showed them to my mom and he said he didn't know what to do with them," says his stepdaughter, Janine Harles.

Turns out Lindsay's wife, Lana, had a heart so full of the Christmas spirit that she personally took it upon herself to respond to every single letter. She continued that tradition until the year she succumbed to cancer. So Harles has followed in her mom's footsteps for the past 15 years.

As word of the mailbox spread, Harles found herself overwhelmed with letters, sometimes writing up to 500 a year. That's when she knew she needed some help. One of the friends she enlisted, Nadina Khalil, placed her letters in the very same box when she was a little girl…all the way through college!

Watch the video above to hear part of one child's very special letter to Santa.

As the help for the project has grown, so has the holiday cheer.

"My mom was so full of the Christmas spirit. She would've loved this," says Harles.

Here at the USA TODAY network, not only do we want to provide you with the current events of the day, but also a little dose of inspiration while you're getting your news fix. Inspiration Nation is our way of providing you with that jolt of good news to bring a smile to your day.

Did you enjoy this holiday story? If you are looking for more feel-good holiday stories, check out this one about one boy with autism whose Christmas wish came true!