To the Thankless

A note to the thankless in no particular order.

In the midst of turkey, family, a day off work and Black Friday sales, many of us take a few moments to reflect on what we are thankful for. I try to do that daily, because in spite of some really terrific bad stuff, there is still an extraordinarily lot to be grateful for.

Instead of a post about what I am grateful for, I'd like to dedicate this post to those who never get a thank you. There are many people in our world who are humble, self-less, gracious and are never hear of, never praised, usually never even thanked, but continue to do their work anyway.

Veterans. How many men and women sitting in some far away place will be dreaming of grandma's awful turkey, their sisters gooey cranberry's, their uncle's horrific snore and their mother's voice saying grace?  Soldiers take crap, they take gruff, they take bullets and they get little pay, and usually little thanks. I am grateful to you that I am home, safe, and secure because you chose to protect this nation.

Firefighter/Paramedic/EMTs. When that alarm goes off a firefighter/paramedic/EMT has no idea what they will be facing. Most firefighters in this nation are volunteers who take large amounts of training and receive less than $20 for a run. That run could be into a burning house to save your child, to an accident to save your husband, to pump water out of your basement, to contain a backyard fire you let get out of control or to protect you from a falling electrical wire until utility help arrives. I am grateful you are only three little digits (911) away.

Utility Workers. In the midst of horrific storms you charge outside - snow, rain, hail, sleet it doesn't matter. You climb poles, replace transformers, set poles and keep my lights and heat on. I am grateful that you are willing to climb out of bed at 3AM to make sure I have heat and light.

Garbage Workers. These people get little respect, but sure I'd hate to not have them. They take our trash, our discarded remodeling stuff, our crap and no one says, 'hey great job'. Can you imagine all the trash piled up at your house for just a month without these folks? I am grateful that you ride that truck through every kind of weather, take away all kinds of unidentifiable stuff and make my personal little world so much cleaner.

Secret Agents. Yes, that is a very broad term, and despite the media drama over spies and agencies and indiscretions, it's the spy's you don't hear about that are keeping many millions safe, every single day. There are men and women deep undercover in all parts of the globe supplying information that will stop the bad guys. I am grateful to those of you in the business of secrets, you will never be known, so will never be thanked publicly. Thank you for keeping all those bad guys away.

Police. Okay, I will be the first to admit, I've cussed under my breath when I've seen those red lights pull up behind me, but I've also had occasion to be terribly relieved to see them. Cops get a bad rap because a few of their number have some issues. Well, I've never seen a profession that didn't. The vast majority are good at their job, diffuse horrible situations, and often let most of us go with a warning. How many of us would risk our life daily for another person? Especially when you understand that many do it for less than $30K a year.

Day Care Workers. If anyone has ever spent the day with twenty or so children under the age of six, you would fall on your knees and give these folks roses, chocolates and your undying gratitude. They take care of your kids and they do it well. These caregivers get little reward, are horrifically underpaid and keep our children safe, teach them and come back the next day for more. I am grateful you are there to keep all the little ones safe.

Hospice workers. These people are probably the nearest things to angels or saints on Earth. They hold the hands of the dying and the grieving every single day. They see the tears, they feel the pain, and they always understand. Their patience, kindness and compassion transcend mere mortals. They exemplify all that is the best in humanity.

There are many more deserving of a thank you - postal delivery persons, mechanics, pet groomers, librarians, maids, cooks and janitors.

So, the next time you want to write a fan letter,you might consider writing a few lines to those that never get fan mail, to one of those incredible people whose work makes our world a much better place to live.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

May all the Write Words be Yours,
Linda