Generous December and a Christmas Miracle

I've told this story before, but some stories are worth telling twice.

When I was in graduate school, I worked with profoundly mentally retarded adults. One of my clients, Joan, was a very loving, affectionate woman of 53. Cognitively, she was roughly two and a half years old.

There were a lot of rumors about Joan's childhood; stories of being locked away in closets and basements. I don't know how many of the rumors were true (I suspect more than a few). I did know one thing for certain: Joan had not been outside of the institution she lived in for over 30 years. It was my job to change that.

It wouldn't be easy. Joan was terrified to leave the safety of the facility. First we walked near the front door. Then, we touched it. We opened it a crack. We stuck our head out. We stepped outside.

After months of work and a few small outings, I decided to go for something big. It was Christmas, after all. Our small town had a rather elaborate display of Christmas lights, complete with a real live Santa Claus. Had Joan ever had a chance to meet Santa Claus? I had no idea.

As we drove through the light display, Joan was ecstatic. She gestured and jabbered, clapped and "sang" with the Christmas carols on the radio. Then, the big moment: Santa. Joan was awestruck. She touched his red suit, stroked his beard (God Bless that patient man in the Santa suit!). I was nearly in tears. At 53, Joan was enjoying a typical Christmas tradition that most of us take for granted. I view that as a miracle.

The cause that is closest to my heart is protecting and promoting the rights, dignity, and quality of life of people like Joan. You don't have to be a social worker or professional advocate to make a difference. Spend a day volunteering (check out the Special Olympics). If you're lucky, you might get to see a miracle, too.

For the Generous December Group Writing Project at Babylune. The charity highlighted by the winning entry will receive a donation!