Her son was touched when he received a letter that answered his questions and wanted the world to know how good his mom was.
For kids, it's hard to imagine their parents having a life beyond them. They see their parents only in those roles and forget that they are just like other people. A man was taken aback when after his mother passed away he came to know about another side of her he had been unaware of until then.
Susan Dorroh had been an organized woman in her adult life who would be done with her Christmas shopping even before Thanksgiving. So, when she left every Christmas eve for around three hours, her son, Johnny, was confused. He would ask his father who always said that she was probably out shopping. His father was suspicious as well but she always returned in a few hours.
Her son always heard her mutter something about running errands, grab her car keys, before leaving. If he asked her where she was going, even though she hated going out on Christmas Eve, she would say, "errands or two. Be back soon."
This went on for years and when she died in 1990 is when the mystery was solved. He received a letter from a man named Robert who worked with her at a toiler-seat factory in Columbus, Mississippi, according to Sun Herald. From the letter, it was obvious that they were not just colleagues.
"He said, ‘I don’t know if you know what your mom did for us,’ and I thought, ‘No, I just knew that she left,’" John said. "And he said, ‘She was playing (Mrs. Santa Claus) for my kids.’"
We have heard of Mr. Claus and kids wait for him with excitement but Mrs. Claus was the guardian angel for this family. She brought Robert's children gifts because he couldn't do that and she didn't do it for anyone's approval or fame. She did it because that's the kind of person she was, kind and generous. She believed in helping her neighbor out in times of trouble and the letter was its proof.
Sue would buy shoes, shirts, jeans, toys, and candy for the children for seven years. "Dear Johnny, I just wanted you to know how much my family and I appreciate what your mother has done for us for all of these years. Every year on Christmas Eve day your mom comes to my house dress like Mrs. Claus and gives my kids a Christmas that we can’t afford to give them. She has given them shoes, shirts, jeans, toys, and candy," Robert said in the letter, according to Chickensoup.com.
"I know your heart is heavy and that you are missing Miss Sue," Robert added in his letter. "We do, too. We loved her and just wanted you to know what she has done for us. Love, Robert and Nellie and the kids."
Her son, who is in his 60s now, was surprised by what his mother did for this family. He knew that she was a good woman but didn't realize how selfless she was until then. He was so touched that he wanted the world to know about her deed of kindness and shared the story with Chicken Soup for the soul. It was selected for the Joy of Christmas edition released in October 2017. Now, this story can warm multiple people's hearts across the world about the beauty of Christmas.
References:
https://www.chickensoup.com/book-story/201831/8-mom-s-secret-mission?
https://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article121176463.html
