This Christmas story went viral because it will give you feelings
11.
One weekend, just before Christmas, she said to me, ‘You’ve made Christmas reallly magical for your sister, you really have.’ And I puffed up, all proud and happy. Then she said, ‘It seems such a shame nobody does that for you.’ I didn’t really understand what she was saying.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
12.
That week, one morning, I came downstairs ready to make breakfast (porridge with LOADS of demerara sugar that soaked down to to the bottom. Recreate it. It’s perfect). On the door mat was an A4 envelope with glitter on it.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
13.
It just said, ‘To Hayley. Have a lovely Christmas. Thank you for all your help. Lots of love from Santa’s elves xxx’
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
14.
When I opened it, it was the piano sheet music for We’re Walking In The Air.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
15.
I had been working out how to play it myself, but I couldn’t get it quite right. And there it was, in an envelope, just for me. I played it and played it and played it. It felt like the first time somebody had actually SEEN me.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
16.
It was the nicest thing, the loveliest, kindest, small, lovely thing. It made a difference to me, a huge difference. I remember it every year, every single year.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
17.
That Christmas went on to be quite odd. A drunken Christmas morning thing between my parents – my mum giving me and my sister Grease and Mary Poppins and leaving. Other things. But that gift, that one small thing, taught me what it means to be noticed for who you are.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
18.
It’s something I try to do, not with gifts, but with actions. She taught me Christmas, is nothing to do with showing people you love them with big money spends. For me, it will always be about giving people what they need; attention, kindness, love.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
19.
And when that happens to me, when people do that for me, it literally lasts as warmth my whole life. Notice people. Show them they matter. It’s the best advice I could ever give anyone. Not just at Christmas.
*cue the cheesy inspirational music*
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
Lots of people shared it, including him …
Twitter is often rubbish until it isn't…. https://t.co/DNk8lL1l6X
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) December 4, 2017
… and her.
This is so beautiful. https://t.co/4Af3rywdQs
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 3, 2017
And a post-script.
oh god Hayley man oh GOD
— Melissa Harrison 🌾 (@M_Z_Harrison) December 3, 2017
She was the NICEST person. That gift really was everything.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
This is lovely. Are you still in touch with her?
— Hannah Bullivant (@Han_Bullivant) December 3, 2017
No, not for 31 years. But, that’s okay too.
— Hayley Webster (@bookshaped) December 3, 2017
I love that 31 years later her act of kindness can still move so many of us…x
— Lorelei King Dong Merrily On High 🎄 (@LoreleiKing) December 3, 2017
Something tells me that this thread will find her.
Thank you so much for sharing it with us ❤️
— DarkStardust (@redgoldrush) December 3, 2017
