The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to get caught up in the spin cycle and let it get us down. Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.
Our Something Good this week is a child’s belief in the magic of Christmas and a mall Santa’s kindness.
Baiz, an eight-year-old boy with autism, has wanted to meet Santa since he was two years old. Each year, Baiz’s anxiety has prevented him from actually being able to go up to Santa, no matter how much he tries to build up the courage to do so.
This year, when his mom, Sheila, took him and his twin sister Layna to meet the jolly old elf at the mall, Baiz tried for two hours to summon the courage to walk up to Santa because he was convinced that this particular Santa was the real deal. When Sheila took Layna to greet Santa, Baiz stayed back with his aunt hoping to gain the courage to join them. Instead, visibly upset and frustrated with himself, he climbed into the cart.
But Santa saw Baiz’s situation and came down to greet the boy. Santa approached slowly and spoke quietly to Baiz, assuring him everything was ok and gently rubbing his head. Santa gave Baiz a candy cane and a sticker and wished him a Merry Christmas. Baiz was nervous but happy in that moment, says Sheila.
His mom, Sheila, said on Facebook that Baiz was “crying the happiest cry” she’d ever seen from him – smiling while crying.
Sheila told CBS News, “As a mom it meant the world to me that he saw my son and recognized his need. I cannot put into words how much that means.”
That night, when his mom was putting him to bed, Baiz told her, “I believe he is the real Santa, mommy. I feel it in my soul.”
This Santa from the Gurnee Mills in Illinois somehow knew that Baiz just needed a little kindness and in the process, made a little boy very happy.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good!
