The holidays can be a time of great joy for many. But not everyone can celebrate with the same sort of ease as others. For some, just managing to pay the bills is about all they can hope for.
It’s those people, I believe, that deserve the sort of Christmas miracle that can restore their faith and maybe give them a bit of hope for the holidays. And for one woman in Idaho, her Secret Santa did just that.
Imagine spending your twilight years working two jobs, and still being years away from retirement. For Diana Boldman, that was her reality. And one morning, she was rewarded for all of her hard work.
The 65-year-old is an employee at a McDonald’s in Idaho. She also takes care of her husband, Cameron, who is disabled due to various health issues. Each morning, before her fast-food shift, the couple begin their morning by delivering 150 newspapers. Their mode of transportation: a rundown van with more than 240,000 miles on it.
When a local Secret Santa heard Boldman’s story, the unknown benefactor knew it was time to lend a hand. For the past 6 years, Idaho Falls residents have been nominated for gifts, and yet again the Secret Santa didn’t disappoint.
Diana Boldman looks at a Secret Santa gift that she was surprised with while she was at work. Photo by East Idaho News Photo
So one morning, while Boldman was at work preparing fries for a customer, in walked reporter Nate Eaton, from East Idaho News. Eaton has handed out the gifts for the Secret Santa since the tradition began.
He told the Today show that the Secret Santa typically gives out more than $500,000 in gifts to the community, with each recipient typically nominated by a community member.
These are generally people who never ask for help,” Eaton said. “They’re humble. They’re not asking for handouts or assistance.”
In a video released by the East Idaho News outlet, Eaton calls Boldman over, and begins chatting with her. Her coworkers, who were in on the surprise, gathered around as the reporter revealed the real reason he was there.
Eaton handed Boldman a green present with a bright silver bow. Once she opened it, she pulled out a check written for $1,000. “Oh, I’ve seen this on your videos before,” she said. And then, surprisingly, Boldman tries to hand back the check. The generosity she showed, has only earned the woman more praise.
At the urging of the reporter and her coworkers, Boldman took back the check, and alongside that was gifted $5,000 in gift cards for gas. Dazed, the video shows her following Eaton as he steered her outside of the McDonald’s for her final gift: a brand-new vehicle.
Diana Boldman stands in front of a new car she was gifted by her town’s local Secret Santa. Photo by East Idaho News Photo
Stunned, Boldman took the keys and fumbled, joking the car key must be “smarter than me.” She climbed into the vehicle and sat, only able to say, “wow”. The kind woman said that while she believed others in the community “deserve” the gifts more than her, the car has brought her some security. “Before, we kept having to wake our daughter up at 3 o’clock in the morning for battery jumps before the paper route,” Boldman said, while laughing.
After enjoying her new red SUV, the emotional Boldman managed to find the words she had been searching for to express how she was feeling. “Tell the Secret Santa, thank you ever so much.”
Watch the heartwarming video below.
