In my first year as a mail carrier, I was tasked with delivering the last-minute parcels on Christmas morning; Express Mail is delivered 365 days a year. At the last house, I had four huge parcels from FAO Schwartz, the famed NYC toy store. Three little blond boys were very excited to see them. 

All was well until, as I was unloading the last parcel, the youngest boy asked me, “Wait. Why are you bringing our presents? What happened to Santa?” 

I saw both parents freeze in horror at the question, so I crouched down to the little boy’s level and explained, “Santa had so many good boys and girls this year that he had a lot of presents to bring, and he knew the reindeer were going to get really tired, so he called up the Post Office and asked the mailmen to help him bring the presents, and we said sure.”

“Oh, okay!” said the little boy, and he started opening the boxes with his brothers. The mom made sure I got Christmas cookies before I went on my way. 

That was twenty-five years ago and I’m senior enough now that I don’t have to work on Christmas anymore, but I always smile when I remember that.

This story is part of our Feel Good roundup for December 2020!

Read the next Feel Good roundup for December 2020 story!

Read the Feel Good roundup for December 2020!

I work at a well-known home improvement store. I am giving one of my coworkers her break from our garden center. It’s usually pretty slow out there, so I have a lot of time to talk to customers and interact with them between transactions.

This lady and her husband come up to me and asked about the marigolds we have on special: five quart-size pots for around ten dollars. I point them out to her and she and her husband disappear for a few minutes. Eventually, they come back and grab five of the gallon-size pots and plop them down on the register.

I start scanning their items like normal, and when I get to the marigolds, they ring up at $4.98 each. I inform her of this and she isn’t the slightest bit happy. My register even says they are the gallon-size.

Me: “Ma’am, these are the gallon-size marigolds, as confirmed by my register. These are not the marigolds that are on special.”

Customer: “You don’t know a quart from a gallon! You need to tell someone to fix your advertisement sign.”

I wasn’t about to start an argument with her, but I remembered the conversion of four quarts in a gallon; I wanted to tell her that and to (kindly, of course) point out that there was no way in heck that four of the bigger pots could ever fit into one of the smaller ones. I finally got her the ones that were on special, but she was so mad at me.

Our store fosters rescue cats available for adoption, usually only one at a time, and they are kept in large cages that are four feet high. Potential adopters can request to have them taken out to play with.

Customer: “I just love the cat! Can you take him out of the cage, please?”

Me: “Okay! I’ll just shut the door to the room.”

I let the cat out.

Customer: “Yeah, I really like this one! I’ll have to ask my roommates if I can adopt it!”

She proceeds to go on about her life and her roommates and cats. Finally, I put the cat back and she leaves.

Coworker: “Did you just help that blonde woman?”

Me: “Yeah, why?”

Coworker: “She’s the crazy lady who tried to walk out with a cat underneath her shirt!”

It was then that I was told all about how notorious this customer is.

It’s Christmas Day at my grandparents’ house. Dinner has been served and eaten, presents and stockings have been opened and, to entertain the eight cousins in attendance, my aunt has come up with some party games.

First up is “pin Baby Jesus in the manger.” My oldest cousin, a ripe twenty years old, offers to be the first to have an oversized Santa hat pulled over his eyes. Once that’s in place, he gets spun around by many eager hands a few times. It’s simple from there: get Baby Jesus from his hand to the manger that is no more than five feet in front of him.

The manger is taped to a closed door, which my cousin had noted before having his eyes covered. Next to said closed door is a painting that has hung there for as long as any of us can remember. When he gets close enough, my cousin confidently leans one hand against the door and slaps the Baby Jesus as hard as he can onto the glass of the painting’s frame with his other. 

Lots of shouting and laughter ensues. After it’s established that he didn’t break anything, my cousin turns to my grandma and asks an innocent question. 

“That means I get to keep the painting, right?”

I work at a company that prints on USB drives. We have a variety of styles for everyone to choose from and they can have their artwork printed on them. I am a designer that basically sets up their artwork and proofs the client to make sure it looks right before we print and ship. Turn times are usually three days for production and shipping and usually start when the proof is approved.

Recently, we’ve had a client who lives in the same state as our company who wants a credit-card-shaped USB printed on both sides. I go through the proofing and approval process with them for their artwork, per usual, and after some back and forth they approve the day after they placed their order. I am out the next two days as I am sick, and a third day for Christmas. When I get back after Christmas, I see I have a voicemail from 4:00 pm Christmas Eve.

Client: *On voicemail* “Hi, [My Name], this is [Client] from [Company]. You worked with me on a USB project from last Thursday and I have yet to receive it. I was under the impression that I would have it by now, but it looks like I won’t. I am very disappointed, as they were to be Christmas gifts. Can you call me back to let me know when I will receive them? Again, I am very disappointed. Thank you.”

Not ONCE did the client tell me or their sales representative or anyone that they needed it for Christmas. I even went back through the email chain and nothing was mentioned there. They had also emailed me numerous times about this when I was out, saying basically saying the same things. I had the sales rep email them explaining that they did not inform us about this at all and if we had known we would have quoted them for expedited shipping. They never responded. I like to think they realized their mistake.