"I figure when I look like this and can a grow a beard like this, why not spread some cheer?”

I stopped to talk to Rob on his way back to work after lunch in Madison, WI. I mean, how could I not?

He said 2019 was his first year volunteering as Santa at multiple nursing homes. The smiles he saw warmed his heart and made him want to do it every year. Obviously, it wasn't possible in 2020, though he started growing his beard in June just in case. Instead, this holiday season he’s been wearing this Christmas vest he made himself—with a matching mask—and of course, topped with a Santa hat, everywhere he goes. He apologized for his beard being weirdly shaped. He said the mask smooshes it down. This is an issue I certainly had never thought about.

It isn't unusual for people to smile or stop him as he walks by, he says. It’s hard not to smile when Rob is around. I wish I could see him in his full Santa costume, which he also made himself. Here’s hoping next year he can get back to playing Santa at the nursing homes. He’s just perfect for the job.