Dad Asks Santa To Take Photo With His Late Son

As happy as the festive season can be, it's also a hard time of year for a lot of people.

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And while Santa is often reserved for kids, sometimes he also plays a part in reminding adults about the true meaning of Christmas.

Case in point: a man in the US asked Santa for a photo with his son, who had tragically passed away earlier in the year. He provided a framed photo of the infant, which Santa dutifully sat on his knee in what was the late baby's first Christmas photo.

Afterwards, Santa said it had been a sad reminder that Christmas is a hard time for a lot of families:

"A man walked in today holding something in his arms. "I have a request," he said, turning around this picture frame. He took a moment. "My son passed away, last year." He choked up and couldn't finish his sentence. The entire photo set was silent. I said, "Absolutely." Without anyone saying anything, he handed me the frame and I placed it on my knee. In the photo, I could see on the little boy's armband that his first name was Hayden. I didn't ask any questions, but I am guessing that this is his first photo with Santa.

"The camera snap was the only sound I could hear through the entire mall. Normally, I hear all kinds of music and sounds, but it was absolutely silent. After a handful of clicks, we walked over to the screen and he pointed, saying, "That's the one." The girl working the computer printed him a full photo package and he pulled out his wallet, saying that this was going to be his gift to his wife.

"We gave him the printed package, telling him that it was a gift and that we would be praying for his family, this Christmas. He grabbed my hand and pulled me in and hugged me, then turned around and left. As he walked out, we all had tears in their eyes. I'm sharing this to remind us all that Christmastime is unbelievably hard for some families. Pray for the brokenhearted. Smile at people. Just be kind. Love one another."

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Whoever this particular Santa is, we have to commend him on bringing back the Christmas spirit.