It's the little things they do to show their appreciation ...

And then there are the BIG things ...

Today at work started out like any other Saturday. I got there at 5:30am, made sure all the parts were there for the technicians, played my typical 'mother' role to 52 grown men (and woman). On Saturdays I'm by myself. That's a lot of people to look up parts for and get out the door in a timely manner. But I get it done quickly and efficiently. It did help that today Rob, one of our washer techs, brought me a large vanilla iced coffee from McDonald's. Granted, he did lose a bet we made during the Wrigley installment of the Crosstown Classic, but it was still a nice surprise. Then came the BIG surprise. Rami, a refer tech and one my favorites, handed me a $20 bill and told me to buy lunch on him.

Ummm ... I didn't even know how to respond to that. I thanked him of course and just put it quietly into my pocket. Am I allowed to accept generous gifts like that? I guess it's not illegal, just generosity.

And they are so generous (most of them), which makes me love what I do even more. I want to do something for them. Maybe find out when their birthdays are and just get them a card; just something small like that. Something to show they aren't passed over and are included within the department.

It's days like this that make me want to do something special for someone, just for being them.

I did clean the house today and do the laundry because my parents are coming back from their cruise tonight. I took the dog for a nice long walk because it was nice out. I said hi to a couple of kids I saw playing outside.

It's the littlest things that make people feel good and appreciated. I need to remember that more often.