I am an interior decorator and I help my clients to make their homes beautiful, one room at a time! One year around Thanksgiving, 18 years ago, I was approached by a local pastor and his wife who wanted to decorate their teenage girls bedrooms for Christmas as a surprise. I came up with fabrics and designs for bedding, window treatments, etc. and arranged to have it in by Christmas Eve. Since the pastor had to present Christmas Eve services, they left their home around 5:00 to go to dinner and the door open for me and my installer. We went into the home, put up the new decorations, made the bed, etc. I left a plate of home made cookies on the bar in the kitchen with a note that said "Merry Christmas" from Santa!
I could just imagine the surprised looks on those girls faces when they came home from church that night.
Just a few years later, the pastor died from cancer but his wife and family still live in the area. When I see them they always comment on that most memorable Christmas!