A $100 bill captures the magic of Christmas

Christmas may be a distant memory for most, but a story surfaced this past week from the recent holiday season that will surely warm your hearts. I know it did mine.
I received a call from Diane, a grandmother in Owatonna who shared the story of what happened to two of her teenage grandchildren, Tristan, 17, and Tanner, 15. She didn’t want us to use their last name because she doesn’t want to story focused on them.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Tristan and Tanner were out shoveling snow off their vehicle parked in front of Sacred Heart Church in Owatonna. With a storm dropping several inches of snow, they were focused on getting their car off the street.
As they were shoveling away, another vehicle occupied by an older couple cruised up to them, rolled down the window and handed them a $100 bill. The couple insisted the teens keep the cash. “This is something our folks gave us a legacy to do,” they told the teens as they drove off.
Dumbfounded by what had just happened, the teens didn’t really even get a chance to offer a proper thank you to the couple. So they are hoping the couple reads about it in the newspaper. They just wanted to show their appreciation somehow so they thought sharing the story with this writer would fit the bill.
“It was a gift not left under a tree, but it was a gift of friendship warm and true,” said Diane on behalf of her grandchildren. “They want to give them a wish for good health and cheer. It was money given to keep them smiling through the year.”
For the teen snow shovelers, it was Christmas magic from complete strangers. “They just want to say thank you, there are angels among us,” Diane said. “Sometimes the magic of Christmas is what we give each other and not what’s under the Christmas tree,” she added.
The Christmas gift left the entire family a little surprised. “Getting a $5 bill is one thing, but when someone hands you a $100 bill, it’s another thing,” Diane said.
Tristan and Tanner weren’t about to take any chances with their special gift. They set it aside just in case the couple returned wanting the money back, according to Diane. She figures they will save it for vacation or a fishing trip.
Diane is hopeful this encounter will teach her grandchildren a far more valuable life lesson than just getting a $100 bill. “It will teach them that money isn’t everything in the world,” she says. “Friendship and kindness can be more than weight in gold. Hopefully, they will do it some day, too.”
In this dark world that has become even darker over the past year, it’s refreshing to see that there are people out there trying to make it brighter for others. Kindness can go a long way. What a way to help brighten someone else’s day, especially on a holiday like Christmas.
Perhaps it doesn’t need to be a $100 bill, but we can all take a page out of the couple’s playbook to spread some happiness and joy onto others. A simple act of kindness can change a life forever. I’m guessing it has for Tristan and Tanner.
We need more people going in hot pursuit of random acts of kindness to touch someone’s heart and make a difference.