Change isn’t always easy, especially for the smallest of Whovians.

Each time The Doctor regenerates, it seems to fill the fandom with mixed emotions. The recently aired Christmas special “Twice Upon a Time” was no exception to this rule. One nine-year-old fan went so far as to write a letter to Peter Capaldi telling him that he was dreading the regeneration. Capaldi reached out and wrote the boy a wonderful letter in return.

The boy’s (David we’ll now call him) father is author Brian McGilloway. This morning, Twitter was abuzz with a photo McGilloway had posted showing Capaldi’s letter, an autograph, and festively decorated envelope – Capaldi’s influence clearly displayed in the doodle.

(via Brian McGilloway on Twitter)

“It’s like The Doctor says, everything ends and it’s always sad. But everything begins again and that’s always happy. Be happy,” Capaldi advises in the letter, pictured above.

We thank McGilloway for sharing this with all of the Whovians out there. It warms our hearts to know that Capaldi is always carrying that spirit of The Doctor with him, no matter if he is no longer present on our screens.