Witnessing Christmas...

I work for an agency that serves the mental health needs of people with severe and persistent mental illness. Most of the time it is a very rewarding job. Sometimes, it goes beyond rewarding.

Last Wednesday, we had our annual Christmas party for the clients. Fifty five people showed up to eat and be merry. One of those who showed was a man named Jesse. Jesse is a very intimidating fellow. He generally has a very surly attitude and he becomes angry very easily. When he's taking his prescribed medications, he can be quite nice but he doesn't take them as prescribed because he know they will counteract with his street drug usage so, there are times, when he's using, that he doesn't take them at all. This means that his illness has never reached a point of stability. Also, Jesse is a very intimidating looking person. He is a large man, almost always dressed in black from head to toe. He has long, long scraggly black hair and a super thick, long, scraggly black beard. Through it all, he has two of the largest, most potently blue eyes I've ever seen. And he uses them to glare at people which, if you are the target of the glare, is indeed extremely frightening.

At our agency, Jesse has now working with his second case manager. The first was too intimidated to continue.

At the Christmas party, Jesse sat at a table with some of the others, dressed all in his trademark black, and glaring at them all. Christmas carols gently played in the back ground while the food - chicken, potatoes, gravy, salad and dessert - was being served. Jesse ate three helpings and fully took advantage of the free soda too. After everyone ate, it was announced that we had a karaoke machine and anyone that wanted to sing a carol was welcome! The crowd grumbled, some seemed eager but too shy to be the first. All of a sudden, Jesse stood up, towering above the crowd at his table. He grabbed one of the ladies sitting near him and another that was passing by. He took them, giggling and screaming, straight up to the microphone and then...

He started singing. First it was a raucous version of "Jingle Bells" and then a calm, sentimental version of "Silent Night". By the time he launched into "Frosty the Snowman" the entire room was singing with him. Jesse's blue eyes, usually etched in a scowl, twinkled as he smiled and sang and danced around.

Afterwards, we raffled off some gifts. A free raffle, drawing names out of hat. We didn't have enough to get everyone something so this was the only fair way to do it. I got to draw the names, leaving the three biggest gifts for last. At the end, the prize was an enormous basket of amazing breakfast food items - bagels, cream cheese, coffee, coffee mugs, pancake mix, syrup, you name it...it was in there. I reached in and drew that last name......(drum roll please)

It was JESSE!! His smile was bigger that I ever imagined he could smile. He came up and accepted his gift and turned around and thanked the crowd. As we ended the party, Jesse pitched in and helped the staff clean up - something he would never have done before. He made casual conversation (REAL conversation) with the other clients who were waiting for their rides to come pick them up.

The last sight I saw was Jesse walking down the street, smiling, and carrying his huge present. And if that wasn't a Christmas miracle, I don't know what it!

Merry Christmas everyone. And Merry Christmas Jesse - wherever you are right now.