Santa Encounters (Serious)

Starting off, I know this sounds insane. No, I don't think this entity is actually Santa but that is how I've thought of him since I was a kid. I have no proof, but I wanted to share just to see if anyone has experienced something similar. Since I was a child I've run into Santa during the years with the most personal tragedy.

He looks different every time, but he always greets or calls me over by name and knows a lot of very personal information about me and my family. When he talks to me it's familiar and I feel totally at ease. Nothing feels off until after the interaction is over and I realize that was a stranger.

The earliest encounter I remember I was 8 and out Christmas shopping with my mom in a nearby city. The mall santa called me over by name, and we got in line to see him. My mom seemed at ease so I didn't see anytbing wrong with it. When we got to him, he asked about my family and how they're doing. He also mentioned my older brother that had passed 4 years prior by name, and told me that he wanted me to know he was okay and happy. We took the picture and left.

The same thing happened again when I was 11, that year my dad was diagnosed with MS. This time my mom and I were in another state. The santa in the mall we were at called me over by name and talked to me about my dad. Again when I was 14, I was called over by name and talked to him about my own medical problems after he brought them up.

My mom doesn't remembering him calling us over by name, and looking at the photos these are all different men.

The most recent encounter changes it up, though? In December 2022 when I was 19 I had a tire go flat on my way to work. An old man pulled over, greeted me by name when he got out of his car, and helped me put on my spare. We spoke about how my life was going and I felt compelled to tell him everything. The interaction had the same feeling of familiarity as the others. I got to work okay.

When I got off work and got to my car, the tires had all been replaced and my spare was in my back seat. There was a note on the passenger's seat that just said not to worry about the cost and that all I need to do is pay that kindness forward. I don't know how he got into my car. For context I have OCD, and one of my compulsions is to lock and unlock my car 7 times and check all the doors before I leave it alone. I know my car was locked.

That whole thing sounds nuts, and I honestly don't have any proof. All the photos show different men. The only similarities are that they're old white men with white beards, and all the encounters are in December. I could also just be nuts???

I just want to know if anyone has had similar encounters or heard of something similar?