It’s that time of year
Trigger warning: talk of food.
BAKING SEASON!
This time of year, I do a lot of baking. People always ask me for some baked good or other. So far, for Thanksgiving alone, I’ve made four cheesecakes. One is gluten free for a co-worker who never gets to eat the goodies people bring in, one is a chocolate cheesecake Conall is taking to his family’s holiday dinner, and two plain (one for a friend who graciously invited me to an early dinner at her house, the other one for work).
Both Conall and I are working tomorrow, and the way our schedules are, not only won’t I be able to make his family’s holiday meal, but I also won’t be able to see him at all. He’ll leave the house before I wake up, and either be in bed, or be really close to it, by the time I come home from work. It’s pretty much a bummer that I won’t be able to see my husband on one of the two major family holidays of the year.
The thing is, I knew when I married him that there would be holidays I’d not see him. He has one of those very necessary jobs that has to be done 24/7/365, and if it’s his day to work, he works. One of the things I’m very thankful for is people like Conall.
So often, people don’t think about what it takes to make a city run, until something goes wrong. In northern cities where snow happens frequently, it doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday if it starts to snow. The plows must run so people can get where they are going. If the power goes out, city electricians have to go out, even in the middle of the night, to get power going again as quickly as possible, so people don’t freeze to death (in winter, of course). At all times, water and sewer have to be there, not just on call, but there, making sure everything is going according to government specifications. Emergency workers (police, fire, ambulance) also have to be there, all day, every day.
They say it takes either losing something, or knowing somebody who’s done a certain thing, to be aware of the behind-the-scenes actions that take place every day.
In order for our civilization to run, we depend so much on people who we don’t even know to do the things we are glad we don’t have to do (for the most part), and, as a whole, we don’t think about the people out in the cold and dark, keeping things running.
I know, this isn’t a typical “what I’m thankful for” post this year. I just find that it helps me a lot, when it’s a holiday and I can’t be with the man I love, to remember how much good he, and others like him, are doing every day. I truly am thankful for all the people who keep the city running, the roads safe, the water potable, the hospitals and pharmacies open.
I hope that each and every one of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving (for those in the US, of course), and an enjoyable day with family!
I got to spend the morning with my husband before he had to go in to work (he was not happy about it, he works in the deli at WalMart and is scheduled for today, tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday). Because of that, we don’t get to spend Thanksgiving with family at all this year, but at least he has a job, for which I am very thankful.
I’ve always felt it was sad that stores, gas stations, etc didn’t close on Thanksgiving so that their employees could enjoy the day with their families, but it’s also sad that all those people you mentioned in your post also have to work or be available to work on holidays too. I’m very thankful that those people exist who are willing to give up their holidays with their families so that their families and the rest of us can be safe all year long. Happy Thanksgiving to them all.
What Vesta said…
Happy Thanksgiving Friends! Be well, eat well, drink (a little) and many Blessings!
i grew up with one nurse and one water department guy in the family. i can remember when the snow was over my head in 1981, we are talking 3-4 feet and my dad had to walk 2 miles to work and back because he was the only person who COULD get there…and if he didn’t then people wouldn’t have safe water to drink. My mom does private duty care nursing and has to work every thanksgiving, a 12 hour shift. we work around her, and have the family gathering at like 12 noon or 7p to accomdate.
I could have written this about my priest, Father L. He does daily and high Mass at two churches, is on a medical ethics committee, does RCIA, performs several marriages, funerals, baptisms, etc. a week, works at the Catholic school, and much more. He constantly has to meet parishioners for confession, preparing for sacraments, and general pastoral counseling. He routinely stays until 6 in the evening and goes in his office on weekends. As a Catholic priest, he does not have a wife or children to greet him when he gets home, nor does he get holidays off. Hell, that’s when he has the most work.
He does what he does because he loves his parishioners like his own children and he loves the God he serves. I love him because he is always willing to talk to me when I have problems and looks out for me. I talked to him two days ago and he stayed way longer than he needed to just to be there for me. I don’t know what I would do without him.
Anyway, I think we often don’t appreciate the things, big and small, that ordinary people do. We don’t appreciate the sacrifices made by others for our sake and that sometimes, the real heroes are the peopel you don’t hear about.
PS: Father L, my priest, is quite the roly-poly. More love to share, I guess.:)