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By Andrew Dys

The Rock Hill Herald

FORT MILL Somebody had to work Christmas Day at Hardee's, right there at the top of Main Street in Fort Mill. Actually, five somebodies.

Susan Castillo to run the join, Kenny Porter in the back on the grill, Josephine White making biscuits, Geraldine Wyline at the counter and Weydeen Jones manning the drive-through.

"Didn't want to go; it was Christmas. I even gave one quick thought to calling in," Wylie said. "But I didn't. When you have to work, you have to work."

Around 10:30 a.m., an order came through the speaker for a bulging sackful of bacon, egg and cheese biscuits. The order came to $33 and change. Miss Jo had just pulled a tray of hot biscuits out of the oven, and all were golden brown. The customer drove around to the window, paid Jones (who can't stop smiling, even when working on Christmas Day) and took his food.

"Then, He asked me how many was workin. I said five. And he pulls out five $100 bills. Tells me to make sure everybody gets one. And then he says, "I thank you. You have a merry Christmas."

Then the guy drove off without another word.

Jones ran back inside, jumping up and down.

She ran into Wylie, who starts to jump and holler, too. Then Porter the cook is hollering, and it is C-notes and bedlam on Christmas morning at Hardee's.



That, my friends, is the Coolest Gift Ever:

To make a stranger or two or five deliriously happy, to help someone believe that there is something magical about Christmas Day, that kindness and maybe miracles exist on this cold lonely rock spinning crazily through space.

If you are able to make a stranger dance and holler today, please do.

Signing off here until the new year. Merry Christmas from all of us here, the two-legged and four. And if many of your gifts this year, like mine, are basically lousy despite your best efforts, please remember this from NPR commentator Michael Alvear, who once wrote:

"Funny, I can't remember a single gift I received as a child, from either continent. What I remember is every aunt and uncle and cousin who showed up at the door."

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