Cheryl Dinse has been bringing holiday cheer to her neighbourhood by decorating her house for more than a decade, but a “Grinch” is trying to ruin her Christmas spirit.
On Wednesday, she opened her mailbox in Sooke, B.C., and found a letter. But this was no present.
“When I opened it up I kind of was shocked at first,” she said. “A little bit fearful that somebody is angry at me.”
The letter was unsigned and addressed to the occupant of the home.
“Why don’t you give our neighbourhood a break. Haven’t you heard that less is more? Your house is the joke of the neighbourhood. It looks more like Santa’s whorehouse or a Christmas Abortion. Tone it down a bit!" read the letter.
A friend decided to post the letter on social media saying that the person was “horrible, rude, ignorant bully.” The post has been commented on and shared hundreds of times with many people reaching out to Dinse to thank her for her holiday spirit.
“People are commenting, spending the time to send me a lovely note. It’s unbelievable,” she said.
Neighbours and people, far and wide, are writing to Dinse telling her how much they love her decorations.
“Put this letter straight in the trash,” wrote one person. “What a grinch,” wrote another, adding the Dinse house is “absolutely beautiful.”
Other fans suggested that Dinse add more lights and that she should play Christmas music.
“This house brings me so much joy every time I drive by,” said another person.
Decorating the house is a tradition she and her husband have done since 2012. It takes them three weeks to set up.
“The kids just love it. I've had cars go by when I've been up on the roof, attaching the reindeer and kids in the back seats just laughing and having a great time,” she said. "So I really enjoy doing it for them.”
Doing the decorations this year has also helped Dinse cope with the loss of someone very special to her.
“My son passed away in September,” she said. "I look at what I've done for the day and realize that my thoughts haven't been focused on losing my son, so it's been really helpful."
She said she is not letting the letter writer crush her holiday spirit and encourages people to come by and view her house on Firwood Place.
"I guess I will just keep on doing it,” she said. "And I'll keep making it even bigger."
