I had my heart broken right before a holiday shift, and my job was to play Santa Claus.

It was my first holiday job since my wife passed away a few years ago. I received an email from an old friend who had a brother that needed a Santa. The job paid a lot, and my children had no idea Santa wasn't real at that time, so I decided to do it - just the 4 days leading up to thanksgiving, that way I could give it to my kids for Christmas.<br><br>I took all of my vacation before Thanksgiving because I had just met a woman, and I was excited. My kids were going on vacation with their grandpa, and I wanted to spend time with her. On the plane ride home, she broke up with me saying that she wanted to be alone, and that she was sorry but that I wasn't "really a catch." I tried to ask what she meant, but she said she didn't want to see me at the airport ever again and then got up and walked away. Five days later, I had to put on the red and white and be jolly. It was hard. The man who held my hand through the entire process was kind and compassionate, but he wasn't Santa. He was an elf.<br><br>I did my best to be happy, and even though I didn't drink for 6 months, I had a couple glasses of wine. Then I sat down. The music turned off, and my boss came out to introduce me. I stood up, and then had the worst vertigo spell of my life, including a migraine.<br><br>I passed out in front of a mall full of people - mostly children. The elf caught me and carried me into the back room, where I could feel my heart beating in my head. He laid me down on a red fur lined table, and then he held my hand and stroked my hair for 45 minutes until the migraine passed. I remember he was humming Silent Night. After it passed, he helped me back out, and then he fixed my makeup and sent me back out. I had to be Santa, and I never forgot how kind Santa was to me.