Secret Santa is dying

A few times a year, a story pops up where someone with a lot of money gives some of it back. What makes it interesting and special is that instead of donating it to a faceless do-good type operation - which is fine, don't get me wrong - they do it quietly, face to face and to help out just one person.

A waitress in a small diner in the middle of nowhere is asked what the biggest tip she's ever been given has been and when she goes to pick up the check, there are hundreds of dollars or more waiting for her.

When the credit card receipt is checked, it turns out the guys who swung in on a quiet night for pie and coffee owns a multi-million dollar company. Only then does word spread and the media gets involved.

The really good stories end quickly because the guy with the thick bankroll doesn't want to talk about it.

It's happened again.

Like I said, it's always pretty cool and I'm not sure how I'd handle it if I suddenly made a small fortune. If you spend time scrapping and saving, I'd imagine a huge $1,000 tip would still sting no matter how much money you made - you never really get out of the mindset that you need to save and sacrifice.

Still, I love these stories when they come through. Someone gives way too much and only to try and make life a little bit better for a stranger they just met.

It's enough to entice you to drop a $20 bill in the guy's cup at the stoplight. It sounds like that's how this secret Santa got started.

(Image from loc.gov)