We simply cannot get enough of sweet Santa stories this time a year.
Most recently, it was
this heartwarming tale that had us (almost!) weeping into our coffees this morning here at HerFamily HQ.
When a little girl with hearing problems last week made a visit to Santa's Grotto in a shopping centre in Cleveland in the US, what the local Santa did next has captured the hearts of nearly 170,000 viewers ever since.
In a short video clip captured by onlookers, the little girl's mother is heard telling Santa Claus how her daughter, due to her hearing impairment, 'can't talk very well.'
The kind Father Christmas then asks if his little visitor uses sign language, to which her mother replies: 'Yeah, she does animals and things like that.'
Santa then taps the girl's arm to get her attention before using hand signals to ask her what she wants for Christmas. Delighted to be 'spoken' to in a way she understands, the little girl, using sign language back, tells Santa how she would love to find a scooter under the tree this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPcTB86aT0Y&feature=youtu.be
Within hours of the sweet clip being posted online, thousands of people had watched it - and almost all were completely enchanted with the inspiring scene.
One emotional user wrote: 'Congrats you just made a 40-year-old man squee over his 1st cup of coffee. That is ADORABLE!!!'
Another one added: 'So sweet, wonderful of him to make a connection with her.. what a great guy and what a precious girl!'
Not surprisingly, the video also received high praise when it was posted to the Cleveland Centre's own Facebook page.
'Well done Cleveland centre for having an AWESOME Santa,' said one social media user.
While another added: 'How heartwarming is this...the true meaning of Christmas ...beautiful. Thank you, Father Christmas x.'
A spokesperson for the shopping centre told a local newspaper: "We believe the Cleveland Centre Santa is real, and this truly shows the magic and spirit of Christmas, just like Miracle on 34th Street."
*Sniffling into our tissues.
Have YOU got any great and special Santa stories to share with us? Send me an e-mail at Trine.Jensen@Herfamily.ie
