Like most 6-year-old boys, Landon Johnson was nervous while waiting in line to see Santa Claus at the RiverTown Crossings Mall in Michigan — not because he was getting ready to meet the head honcho of the holidays himself and not because he was worried about what to say. Landon suffers from autism and sometimes people mistake his condition for naughty behavior. Although his mom constantly reminds him that he’s not a bad boy, Landon needed a little confirmation from Santa.

That’s exactly what he got.

"This stranger in a red suit told my son the same message I've been trying to get through to him for a while now — that he's special and I love him just the way he was made," Landon’s mother, Naomi, told TODAY. "Seeing Landon's face light up in that moment was just incredible. I couldn't stop crying."

After Landon finished telling Santa what he wanted, he walked back to his mother and waited for his cousins to finish their turn. That’s when it hit him. He forgot to tell Santa about something that had been wracking his brain. Without his mother realizing, Landon ran back up to Santa with his hand flapping up and down — something that his mother says he does when he gets excited. He informed Santa that he is autistic and wanted to know if it would keep him off the “nice list.” Santa’s response could not have been more perfect.

“It’s OK to be you.”