After 32 years of playing Santa Claus, Niles’ Gary Barnes has seen and heard just about everything.

But every once in a while he is asked a question he has never heard before. It happened again this winter when a young boy asked Santa if he was going to kiss mommy again like he did last year.

That one stumped Barnes for a second.

“I had to think really quick about that one,” Barnes said. “I told him that Mrs. Claus found out I kissed mommy last year and she wasn’t happy about it. Then I looked at mom and dad and said ‘that isn’t going to happen again next year right?’ They both shook their heads yes.”

Barnes takes his job seriously.

He has been to the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, which has been running for 75 years in Midland, Mich. He also has a real beard and says he “lives, breathes, eats, smells and talks Santa all year round.”

His oldest granddaughter, dressed as elf Isabelle, was working with him Thursday evening at Riverfront Café in Niles. He said his wife is behind the scenes, keeping him grounded because “the reindeer and the sleigh like to take off sometimes.”

Barnes, a U.S. Air Force veteran, played Santa for the first time more than 30 years ago when a couple of military friends asked him to surprise their children. Barnes thought the kids would recognize him because he didn’t yet have a great costume. He agreed anyway.

“When I left, the police pulled somebody over nearby so there was a red light flashing in the area,” he said. “The next day the two young kids said they knew Santa had been to their house because Rudolph had picked him up.”

Barnes has been playing Santa ever since.

He can be found spreading holiday cheer at events all over Michiana, including Niles, Mishawaka and South Bend. He has a Facebook page, “Santa Gary Barnes” and about 800 Facebook friends.

“All my friends on there think they’re my friends, but I am actually on there watching to make sure they are nice and not naughty,” Barnes said.

Although being Santa is a jolly experience most of the time, every once in a while Barnes meets people with sad stories.

Barnes once spoke with a man who lost his wife on Christmas day. The man said he now has a hard time enjoying the holidays. Barnes didn’t have a good answer for him.

“I struggled with that one for a long time,” Barnes said. “If I ever have that question again, I’d say we give presents to each other and Jesus wants presents too. So on Christmas day he likes to take his presents and that’s what he does. So not only did we get presents, but we gave him one too.”

Children occasionally ask Barnes to bring home their mom or dad from Iraq or Iran for Christmas.

“The frog gets stuck in your throat when the kids ask for things that Santa’s magic can’t help,” Barnes said. “I simply thank them for their mom and dad keeping us safe and making it so we don’t have to worry something will happen to us. I tell them when I leave here I will make sure to fly over and check on mom an dad to make sure they are safe too.”

Barnes said he would continue being Santa as long as he is able.

“I absolutely love it,” he said. “I love helping people get into the Christmas spirit.”