So here’s the scene: wanting to get away from the computer and out of the house, I had agreed to accompany my father on a midday trip to International Plaza (Tampa’s luxury mall) to help him pick out gifts for my mom. I was cold, in pain, stressed out by the crowds, and above all, feeling sadly nostalgic (for reasons that are neither important or relevant). To put it mildly, I was not a happy bunny, and I was making myself unhappier by the minute (I’d nearly teared up in the food court a few minutes earlier).

Then, in a split second, the crowd parted a bit and an older man I can only describe as jolly-looking, with truly sparkling eyes, caught my eye and winked — not in a creepy old-man-winking-at-younger-woman way, but in a I-know-you’re-unhappy-but-hang-in-there kind of way. In the same moment, Sydney (my service dog), who’s actually very well-bahaved in those sorts of crowds, jerked her head up, looked straight at the man, started wagging her tail energetically, and tried to pull over to him, as if she’d known him her whole life. All of this literally happened in 2 seconds, max. And the first thought that popped into my head? “I think I just saw Santa Claus!”

Of course, whether or not it was Santa, we’ll never know. But I do know that a single moment completely moved me from a place of anxiety and nostalgic sadness to joy (I think I actually laughed) and gratitude… which is the best gift I could’ve asked for. It was also a lovely reminder that on days like these, I don’t have to get out of the house to find peace; I just have to get out of my own head.