Son Receives Letter Explaining Where Late Mother Disappeared To Every Christmas Eve For Decades

Dec 09, 2022 by apost team

Christmas is a time of light and joy for families that celebrate the joyous season. In fact, the anticipation for Christmas begins quite early in many countries, usually after Thanksgiving in the United States. Radio stations begin to put all the past Christmas hits in their repertoire, shops bring out their finest Christmas decorations, and people make their way to farms to haul home the perfect Christmas tree. 

The most wonderful part about Christmas is the time spent with family. Many people travel thousands of miles to make sure that they are together with their loved ones. Moreover, the holiday spirit also brings out the best in people and imbibes a sense of kindness and generosity all around. 

Most children are also excited about the holiday season because they believe that they will receive gifts on Christmas morning. There is a joy that they have when they realize that the day will arrive soon. They begin putting a list together while trying to find out what Santa will bring them.

However, when John Dorroh from Illinois was a little boy, he often wondered why his mother always left on Christmas Eve. After all, the eve of Christmas is as exciting as Christmas day, and families are generally always together for both days. Though he did not get an answer when his mother was alive, he was taken aback by her story after her passing. This story from 2018 will surely capture the hearts of all who read it and is a fine example of how to live a good life quietly. 

The BL.com reported that John Dorroh knew that his mother, Sue, would sneak out of their home each Christmas Eve when he was younger, and he would always wonder where she would go for a few hours. She told her son that she needed to take care of a few things and that she would be back soon. During this time, she would always drive her car instead of walking wherever she had to go.

John was sometimes hurt when Sue would leave because she was the mother who finished shopping for Christmas before Thanksgiving and always wanted to make sure her child was taken care of and kept safe instead of leaving him home alone. Her absences became something of a mystery within the family, but they would let it slide because she was always back a few hours later, as promised. This ritual continued every year until she passed. 

After she passed away in 1990, John would come to know where his mother went. The revelation came when he received a mysterious letter in the mail from a stranger named Robert, a former coworker of his mom. As he read what was sent to him, John found out that the two of them were more than just work buddies, and Sue’s Christmas Eve “errands” were just a ruse to hide the secret life she spent with another family. 

Most of us are busy spending our time with our closest family members, but Sue was a person with a heart of gold and made sure that more families could enjoy the beauty of Christmas as well.  

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The BL.com reported that Robert wrote in his letter to John,

"Dear Johnny, I just wanted you to know how much my family and I appreciate what your mother has done for us for all of these years. Every year on Christmas Eve day your mom comes to my house dress like Mrs. Claus and gives my kids a Christmas that we can’t afford to give them. She has given them shoes, shirts, jeans, toys, and candy." 

Sue had been doing this every Christmas Eve until her passing, and it brought immense joy to the family who benefitted from her generosity. The letter continued, 

"I know your heart is heavy and that you are missing Miss Sue. We do, too. We loved her and just wanted you to know what she has done for us. Love, Robert and Nellie and the kids."

Many people in the social media age try to make their good deeds known, but Sue was the type of person who did her good deeds quietly and without recognition. However, John was determined to share his mother's story with the world and wrote a short story about his "Mom’s Secret Mission," which was published in the book "Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Joy of Christmas." Sue's actions are getting the recognition that she deserved, and may even inspire others to follow in her footsteps!

When we think about heroes, we generally remember the people who are well-known, but stories like this show that everyday heroes continue to quietly change lives for the better, even if we don't see them.  

What did you think about this heartwarming story? Do you have any similar ones? We want to hear them – so make sure to let us know. Pass this story along to your friends and family – you might just inspire them to do some good this holiday season!