• Join Chef Success Today! Get support for your Pampered Chef business today! Increase your sales right now! Download 1000s of files and images, view thousands of Pampered Chef support threads! Totally Free!

This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)

In summary, the narrator had doubts about hiring Stevie, a mentally handicapped employee, but he quickly became beloved by both customers and staff at the truck stop. When Stevie had to have surgery, the staff was worried about how he and his mother would handle the medical bills.
rbvernon
Silver Member
177
A Truckers Story. If this doesn't light your fire...your wood is wet!

I try not to be biased, but I had my doubts about hiring Stevie. His
placement counselor assured me that he would be a good, reliable busboy.
But I had never had a mentally handicapped employee and wasn't sure I
wanted one. I wasn't sure how my customers would react to Stevie.

He was short, a little dumpy with the smooth facial features and
thick-tongued speech of Downs Syndrome. I wasn't worried about most of
my trucker customers because truckers don't generally care who buses
tables as long as the meatloaf platter is good and the pies are
homemade.

The four-wheeler drivers were the ones who concerned me; the mouthy
college kids traveling to school; the yuppie snobs who secretly polish
their silverware with their napkins for fear of catching some dreaded
"truck stop germ" the pairs of white-shirted business men on expense
accounts who think every truck stop waitress wants to be flirted with.
I knew those people would be uncomfortable around Stevie so I closely
watched him for the first few weeks.

I shouldn't have worried. After the first week, Stevie had my staff
wrapped around his stubby little finger, and within a month my truck
regulars had adopted him as their official truck stop mascot.

After that, I really didn't care what the rest of the customers
thought of him. He was like a 21-year-old in blue jeans and Nikes,
eager to laugh and eager to please, but fierce in his attention to his
duties. Every salt and pepper shaker was exactly in its place, not a
bread crumb or coffee spill was visible when Stevie got done with the
table. Our only problem was persuading him to wait to clean a table
until after the customers were finished. He would hover in the
background, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, scanning the
dining room until a table was empty. Then he would scurry to the empty
table and carefully bus dishes and glasses onto his cart and
meticulously wipe the table up with a practiced flourish of his rag.

If he thought a customer was watching, his brow would pucker with
added concentration. He took pride in doing his job exactly right, and
you had to love how hard he tried to please each and every person he
met.

Over time, we learned that he lived with his mother, a widow who was
disabled after repeated surgeries for cancer. They lived on their
Social Security benefits in public housing two miles from the truck
stop. Their social worker, who stopped to check on him every so often,
admitted they had fallen between the cracks. Money was tight, and what
I paid him was probably the difference between them being able to live
together and Stevie being sent to a group home. That's why the
restaurant was a gloomy place that morning last August, the first
morning in three years that Stevie missed work.

He was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester getting a new valve or
something put in his heart. His social worker said that people with
Downs Syndrome often have heart problems at an early age so this wasn't
unexpected, and there was a good chance he would come through the
surgery in good shape and be back at work in a few months.

A ripple of excitement ran through the staff later that morning when
word came that he was out of surgery, in recovery, and doing fine.

Frannie, the head waitress, let out a war hoop and did a little dance
in the aisle when she heard the good news.

Belle Ringer, one of our regular trucker customers, stared at the
sight of this 50-year-old grandmother of four doing a victory shimmy
beside his table.

Frannie blushed, smoothed her apron and shot Belle Ringer a withering
look.

He grinned. "OK, Frannie, what was that all about?" he asked.

"We just got word that Stevie is out of surgery and going to be okay."

"I was wondering where he was. I had a new joke to tell him. What
was the surgery about?"

Frannie quickly told Belle Ringer and the other two drivers sitting at
his booth about Stevie's surgery, then sighed: "Yeah, I'm glad he is
going to be OK," she said. "But I don't know how he and his Mom are
going to handle all the bills. From what I hear, they're barely getting
by as it is." Belle Ringer nodded thoughtfully, and Frannie hurried off
to wait on the rest of her tables. Since I hadn't had time to round up
a busboy to replace Stevie and really didn't want to replace him, the
girls were busing their own tables that day until we decided what to do.

After the morning rush, Frannie walked into my office. She had a
couple of paper napkins in her hand and a funny look on her face.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I didn't get that table where Belle Ringer and his friends were
sitting cleared off after they left, and Pony Pete and Tony Tipper were
sitting there when I got back to clean it off," she said. "This was
folded and tucked under a coffee cup."

She handed the napkin to me, and three $20 bills fell onto my desk
when I opened it. On the outside, in big, bold letters, was printed
"Something for Stevie".

"Pony Pete asked me what that was all about," she said, "so I told him
about Stevie and his Mom and everything, and Pete looked at Tony and
Tony looked at Pete, and they ended up giving me this." She handed me
another paper napkin that had "Something For Stevie" scrawled on its
outside. Two $50 bills were tucked within its folds. Frannie looked at
me with wet, shiny eyes, shook her head and said simply: "truckers."

That was three months ago. Today is Thanksgiving, the first day
Stevie is supposed to be back to work.

His placement worker said he's been counting the days until the doctor
said he could work, and it didn't matter at all that it was a holiday.
He called 10 times in the past week, making sure we knew he was coming,
fearful that we had forgotten him or that his job was in jeopardy. I
arranged to have his mother bring him to work. I then met them in the
parking lot and invited them both to celebrate his day back.

Stevie was thinner and paler, but couldn't stop grinning as he pushed
through the doors and headed for the back room where his apron and
busing cart were waiting.

"Hold up there, Stevie, not so fast," I said. I took him and his
mother by their arms. "Work can wait for a minute. To celebrate you
coming back, breakfast for you and your mother is on me!" I led them
toward a large corner booth at the rear of the room.

I could feel and hear the rest of the staff following behind as we
marched through the dining room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw booth
after booth of grinning truckers empty and join the procession. We
stopped in front of the big table. Its surface was covered with coffee
cups, saucers and dinner plates, all sitting slightly crooked on dozens
of folded paper napkins. "First thing you have to do, Stevie, is clean
up this mess," I said. I tried to sound stern.

Stevie looked at me, and then at his mother, then pulled out one of
the napkins. It had "Something for Stevie" printed on the outside. As
he picked it up, two $10 bills fell onto the table.

Stevie stared at the money, then at all the napkins peeking from
beneath the tableware, each with his name printed or scrawled on it. I
turned to his mother. "There's more than $10,000 in cash and checks on
that table, all from truckers and trucking companies that heard about
your problems. "Happy Thanksgiving,"

Well, it got real noisy about that time, with everybody hollering and
shouting, and there were a few tears, as well.

But you know what's funny? While everybody else was busy shaking
hands and hugging each other, Stevie, with a big, big smile on his face,
was busy clearing all the cups and dishes from the table.

Best worker I ever hired.

Plant a seed and watch it grow.

At this point, you can bury this inspirational message or forward it
fulfilling the need!

If you shed a tear, hug yourself, because you are a compassionate
person.


AMEN!!!
 


This story is a reminder to never judge someone based on their appearance or disability. Stevie may have had Down's Syndrome, but he was one of the hardest workers and most beloved employees at the truck stop. His dedication and kindness touched the hearts of everyone around him, and it's clear that he made a lasting impact on the customers and staff alike. We should all strive to be like Stevie, always eager to please and never letting our differences hold us back. Thank you for sharing this heartwarming story.
 




What a heartwarming story! It just goes to show that kindness and generosity can make a huge difference in someone's life. I am so glad that Stevie has such a supportive and caring workplace, and it's amazing to see how the trucker community came together to help him and his mother. This is truly a good holiday story, and it's a reminder that we should always treat others with kindness and compassion, no matter their circumstances. Thank you for sharing this with us, it definitely lit a fire in my heart. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!

Sincerely,
 

1. What is "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)" about?

"This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)" is a heartwarming tale about a family's holiday traditions and the power of kindness and giving during the holiday season.

2. Who is the author of "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)"?

The author of "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)" is currently unknown. It is believed to be an anonymous work.

3. Is "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)" appropriate for all ages?

Yes, "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)" is suitable for all ages. It contains a positive message and is free from any explicit content.

4. Can I purchase a physical copy of "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)"?

Unfortunately, "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)" is not available for purchase as it is an online-only story. However, you can easily access and read it for free on various websites.

5. Is "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)" only for the holiday season?

While "This Is a Good Holiday Story...(Long)" does have a holiday theme, it can be enjoyed at any time of the year. Its heartwarming message of kindness and family is timeless and relevant throughout the year.

Similar Pampered Chef Threads

Replies
9
Views
1K
Jennie4PC
  • pampered1224
  • General Chat
Replies
27
Views
3K
pampered1224
  • rbvernon
  • Business, Marketing and Customer Service
Replies
6
Views
1K
rbvernon
Replies
1
Views
925
Admin Greg
Replies
6
Views
998
pchockeymom
  • raebates
  • General Chat
Replies
13
Views
1K
raebates
  • Chefgirl2
  • Business, Marketing and Customer Service
Replies
12
Views
1K
chefann
Replies
5
Views
2K
chefheidi2003
  • crystalscookingnow
  • General Chat
Replies
4
Views
964
3RingChef
  • kcjodih
  • General Chat
Replies
25
Views
2K
DebbieSAChef
Back
Top