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Submitted by: Mary Michaelsen, Provena Mercy Medical Center As I left for work on Christmas Eve morning, I was really running short on time and patience. My daughter screamed from upstairs, “Don't forget to pick up a present for my Sunday school teacher and stuff for the dog's stocking!” In the car, I checked my wallet. There was thirty dollars left. All that was left in the checking account, pockets of my coat, and lunch change in my drawer was $32.50! I put my key into the door of Two West and there he was to greet me. He had greeted everyone the same way for 10 days now. “Hi!” he shouted enthusiastically. “I'm Marvin. I'm going to be 40 on Christmas, and I'm going to get a Sony Walkman!” He rocked back and forth and smiled a childish grin. Marvin came to us from a group home because he hit another resident. He had no family. He was a child in a man's body. Everyone on the unit heard his greeting at least 10 times a day. It was getting old. As I made my way into the unit for report, I heard that Marvin's group home had called and said they would not be taking him back. They were severing all ties to Marvin. That also meant no one was coming from the home as planned to share his birthday. It didn't take my weary mind long to figure out that meant no birthday Walkman for Marvin on Christmas! We all get these little messages in our mind once in a while that say, “OK, it's up to you! What are you going to do about this?” “Yes, God, I hear you, but....but....I only have $32.50 left and other shopping to do!” He answered back as I expected. I made a deal. “OK, if I can get to Osco on my lunch hour and find a Walkman for $30.00, I guess I'll have to get it.” I stood at the crowded display counter and there it was — one Sony Walkman, with a sale marker, for $28.50! “Yes, God, I hear you. You held up your part of the bargain.” I ran to the express checkout. The clerk ran the Walkman through the scanner and it came up at $36.00! “No, no, no!” I gasped. “It's on sale!” She leafed through the ads. It wasn't there. I insisted she call the manager. “Manager to the express counter!” she called out with frustration. He came and said someone left the sale marker up from a previous sale. “Give it to her for $28.50.” I thanked him and he walked away. The sales clerk ran it through and I started to pay her as my eye caught a small sign on the side of the cash register. The sign said, “if the scanned price does not reflect the advertised price, that item is yours free.” I mentioned the sign to the clerk. She gave me one of those looks and said, “I can't do that without a manager's approval.” I asked her nicely to page him again. By this time there were 10 people behind me in line. They were all as full of the Christmas spirit as I had been. I announced with a big smile. “Please be patient with me. There's a Christmas miracle going on right here, right now. Marvin is getting his birthday Walkman, and I'm not going to have to pay for it!” It happened. God worked out the details. I had a free Walkman and plenty of cash to pay for the batteries! I literally flew out the door, through the parking lot, into the nurse's station. I felt like Jimmy Stewart running through Bedford Falls with ZuZu's petals in my hand. The Two West patients and I wrapped Marvin's Walkman and put it under the tree. On the day after Christmas, I put my key in the door of Two West. There was Marvin, wearing a headset with a two foot antenna extending into the air. He was smiling and rocking excitedly said, “Hi! I'm Marvin and I was 40 on Christmas, and I got a Sony Walkman!” God bless us everyone! |
