Dear Internet Stranger,

This is my 6th year participating in Reddit's Secret Santa. Over the years I have received some cute, silly, and thoughtful gifts. This year was different.

There is no way that you could have known how much this year's Reddit Secret Santa would mean to me. The last two months have been some of the hardest I have faced in a long time.

We lost my brother in-law at the beginning of November to complications related to a car accident. Obviously my spouse, his youngest brother, extended family, friends, and parents are devastated to have lost someone so young and so suddenly. We didn't celebrate Thanksgiving this year, instead we spent Black Friday holding a celebration of life for a man who left us 60 years too soon. We didn't go home for Christmas because we spent as much time as possible with my spouse's parents before and after Thanksgiving. The family is getting through the holidays as best they can but it just wasn't the same this year.

The generosity of strangers on the internet will never cease to amaze me. You perfectly cultivated a variety of gifts for a complete stranger. You went above and beyond and I am truly grateful for your thoughtfulness and kind words.

The first package I received had three gifts beautifully wrapped, with a very nice, sincere note from Secret Santa:

A notebook to track what I read. This is PERFECT! It has space to jot down some quick notes and rate each book. I try to read at least 25 books a year. This was a very thoughtful way for me to keep track of everything! A Zero Waste Cookbook. I LOVE this! The pictures are beautiful and it has some great ideas on ways to reuse some commonly tossed items. What a cool idea to use what we would normally toss in the rubbish or compost. I love to cook, and am always looking for new recipes. Three little pots for MORE PLANTS! These are PERFECT for some new little friends or propagated babies! They remind me of Pixelated Southwest Christmas Sweaters!!! I have a houseplant addiction that keeps growing (pun intended). I plan to bring these into the classroom once I get some little guys planted.

A second package arrived from an etsy seller:

Moss Terrariums... in Erlenmeyer Flasks from Doodlebird Terrariums!?! OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?! I follow this seller on Etsy and Instagram. I have been wanting these EXACT terrariums for YEARS. My love of science glass runs deep, and one of my 2020 goals is to start making terrariums. How did you know!?! I also plan on bringing this into the classroom to share with my students.

THANK YOU!!! From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You made the dark months a bit brighter with your kindness.