If you haven't read my post about the unsung hero's of camp that I wrote and posted here this summer, go back and read it. Then come back to this post and read it.
Over the summer I realized just how many people do jobs that don't get much, or any, recognition. We all recognize the actors, musicians, athletes. We look up to doctors. We remember the teachers that had an impact on our lives. We remember the camp counselor that had a positive impact on us, the mentor, the boss that gave us a chance to shine by hiring us. We don't think about the people that pick up our garbage, the taxi driver, the bus driver, the server or cook at a restraunt. Why don't we think about the people who serve us without any thanks?
Today, while I was doing dishes at work, I got to thinking about all the people who aren't thanked for all their hard work. As I thought about it, I realized that I don't see many of the families of the residents that I help to feed. I don't hear the resident's families saying thank you for feeding their loved ones. Yet I don't mind not hearing a thank you from them. Instead I've come to appreciate the little things that the residents say and do that make me smile--after all these are the things that make doing what I do worth it. Seeing a resident smile, getting a wave from a resident, making a resident laugh, or even getting a thumbs up from a resident makes doing what I do worth it.
What most people don't think about is the fact that even the simplest actions--things like saying thank you, a hug, or a shared joke--make each of us smile. Many times saying thank you in a way other than saying those words means more than the words.
Just today I sat down to play the piano at work during my half hour break. Someone had come to pick up one of the residents to take him to the local senior center, and while waiting listened to me play.
Between songs he said, "You should be a professional."
That meant the world to me. In a way he was thanking me for playing. It was something that made me smile, made me feel good, and made me realize that this thing that is a creative outlet for me is something that other people appreciate. Why don't we say more kind things to the people around us, even when we don't always get along with those same people?
There are days when I wonder why we don't appreciate other peoples talents, jobs, abilities?
