Around this time for the last few years Twitter in New Zealand has been a-buzz with Christmas cheer.
The good folks at NZ Post’s Social Media Department came up with the idea of a nation-wide “Secret Santa” scheme – just like the family or office version, but on a much grander scale. I took part for the first time last year and did it again this year.
The trick to being a great SMSS (Social Media Secret Santa) is you have to be a bit of a ninja and investigator. The person you are given to be Secret Santa for can’t know you’re doing it – it’s all very sneaky-sneaky.
Fortunately, most people leave less-than-subtle hints on what they would like. Others just leave it up to the elves, but very good SMSS’s delve deeper and come up with something unexpected and wonderful.
What my Secret Santa got me was far more special than I could ever imagine.
The parcel arrived on my doorstep last Friday (speaking of ninjas, I’m pretty sure our courier driver is one – Drop, Knock, GONE!) and Mrs in Frame told me not to open it until Christmas. I lasted just under 24 hours.
While she went down to the shops and left me minding a sleeping Baby in Frame, I snuck a look at the parcel – expecting it to be wrapped up inside the box it was sent in.
It wasn’t and what I saw made me start crying.
I had an EXCEPTIONAL Secret Santa!
Whomever they were, they had scrolled through my 80+ item blog (that poor, poor, Secret Santa…) and found the blog I wrote about losing my Dad earlier this year.
More importantly, they read one of the last paragraphs and did something my Dad never got to do – soldered up a pair of angel wings for my daughter – his “Little Angel”.
It was a beautiful, heart-felt gift and I thank them with every ounce of my being. Somewhere in New Zealand’s Twitterverse someone is getting a lifetime supply of good Karma!
But it didn’t stop there – I couldn’t resist spreading the good cheer and immediately tweeted a picture of the gift and a link to the blog they got their inspiration from – The response was phenomenal!
This is probably the only time that I’ve ever “gone viral” (other than when I had Chicken Pox last year…).
115 “Favourites” (people “liking” the post), 30 “Retweets” (people sharing it with their followers) and those numbers are still climbing!
This blog, which usually gets only 15-20 views a day (50 if I write something very popular or scandalous), blew out to a massive 542 views on the Saturday I posted the link and a further 110 on Sunday.
The positivity and love was wonderful – and all because of one little heartfelt gift.
I’ve said it so many times before, but I’ll say it again, because I mean it:
Thank you, my Secret Santa!
I hope you have the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year!
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