Anyone who has ever paid close attention to their parents on Christmas Eve can tell you that they will get pretty sneaky when they have to be. “Secret missions” and “don’t worry about where I’m going” are common phrases that we all heard as a child. For some of us, the wonder is lost once we stumble upon our gifts before it is actually Christmas.

For others, the sense of wonder is maintained well into adulthood. John may be 63 years old but he still finds himself wondering where his mother goes on Christmas Eve. After decades of watching her mysteriously vanish on December 24, he has yet to solve the mystery. Once his mother Sue passed away, he resolved to figure it out once and for all.

The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place when he found a letter in the mail. It was from a man that he did not know. Robert was a friend of his mother’s and a coworker. When he read the letter, he found out that Robert and his mother were more than just friends. The ‘errands’ that she was running were just an excuse to get away.

She had a secret life with a different family that John simply wasn’t privy to. Her absences may have been a mystery to her loved ones but she always came back, so no one felt it necessary to ask further questions. This may sound questionable but once John continued to read, he learned more. The “special missions” were not what you think.

Sue was not ditching her family to have a wild affair. She was actually playing Mrs. Claus for children who happen to be a bit less fortunate. She would dress up like Mrs. Claus and provide the family with all of the gifts that they would not be able to receive otherwise. John could not believe that his mother kept the secret for so long.

He wanted to make sure that her story was told. The world needs to know how selfless this mother was. A short story about this mother was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Joy of Christmas. If you would like to learn more about this amazing tale, be sure to check out the touching video below. This is one Christmas Eve secret you’ll want to learn more about. Please share away, everyone!