Thank You

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got to spend it with those you love. It’s that time of year which is all about families. We get this idealistic view of family at Christmas from adverts, tv and movies. Whilst our families may not be as bad as those depicted in soaps, we also know they aren’t as sickly sweet as the movies. I think for many of us, if we are lucky, in between works out just fine.

But who are the real people behind all that goes on at Christmas. Who are those that we take for granted. They do so much but we don’t necessarily remember or think to thank them.

Shop assistants – they are busy stocking shelves, helping you locate things, packing your bags. They hear Christmas music from November, they deal with demands, returns and screaming kids. They go through to the warehouse to search for the last jar of cranberry sauce for you. They do what they can to help you to have the best Christmas ever. Say thanks to them the next time you’re in a shop.

Hospitality employees – whether you are in a bar or in a hotel. The likelihood is you being well looked after. They will cater to your ever whim, whether you want a water with lemon or a hot chocolate with baileys to crispy bacon or potatoes with no butter. If like me you were out for lunch on Christmas Day, then they gave up their family time to ensure your family time was a wonderful one. Being kind and pleasant to them isn’t much to ask at any time of year. I can’t fault our restaurant servers as they were amazing.

Delivery drivers – they have been working non stop to ensure the gifts you have purchased are delivered to your home on time. If your in, great, if not then the extra effort they go to to put your gift in a safe place or leave with a neighbour. If it wasn’t for them, you’d be out shopping and spending time in the shops yourself. Online shopping saves us so much time.

Pet sitters – we love our pets so much but quite often we have to leave them at home whilst we go away for the holidays. It may be you have a neighbour looking in on your cat/rabbit/fish or your cat or dog has gone into a cattery or kennel. They are happy to take care of our pets and ensure they are well looked after and continue to be spoilt even when we are not there. I know my cat will be enjoying the many treats given to her whilst being looked after.

Taxi/bus/train drivers – getting us from A to B safely and ensuring we are not waiting out in the cold. These guys keep us travelling around the country from visiting our families to going to the shops and enabling us to have fun, knowing that we will get home safely. These guys are our reindeers!

Friends/family – from presents to cooking and beyond. They help us in so many ways. They give us joy and laughter and often annoying niggles at this time of year. But it’s good to thank them, often our Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without them! Last year was so very quiet for so many of us, so it’s great to be back together at this time of year!

Video calls – whatever platform we use, it has brought us altogether and has made our world much smaller. This has been a saviour for so many over the last few years. At Christmas time it can make a quiet day a family fun day. For those that can’t join us physically it brings them into our living room to join in the festive fun!

Emergency responders/NHS – these guys are just amazing! Thank you! You do so much for us all year round. Thank you for giving up your time over the festive period to ensure we are well cared for and can get the help we need in an emergency.

There are so many people we can thank at this time of year. There are many many more who help us to enjoy a lovely Christmas that we don’t think about. Who are some of the people you would thank?

We’ve been away for Christmas and when we arrived I realised I’d forgotten my contact lenses… I called a local optician and they kindly gave me some trial lenses to have so I could see. I am so thankful to them. They went out of their way to help a stranger.

Be kind to everyone, you never know when you may need their help. Have a lovely festive time. Thank all those who made your holiday time special and most importantly, have fun.

Take care and look after you, always ensure you have time to do the things you love.

Love Emma xx