It’s that time of the year when everything’s almost magically quiet, the week before the holidays, when the office seems downright deserted. Business is slowing, phones are ringing less, and holiday parties are eating up the afternoons.
It means that at long last, we’re stepping away from the hustle and bustle of work to be with our families. It’s kind of amazing what ‘family’ can mean, in this day and age. Found families, our families of choice, those people that mean so much to us, whether they’re related to us or not. I think family can be about those who you’re willing to go the extra mile for, the people you’re willing to sacrifice something for.
Like this little girl, who went out of her way to make sure her hearing-impaired parents in the audience, could enjoy her Christmas concert. She’s not afraid of standing out from the crowd – especially when it makes making someone she loves feel special and considered. We should all take a lesson there!
Family can also be those who we find ourselves bonding with unexpectedly, due to a stressful or special experience. These WestJet airline passengers were expecting the typical stress of holiday travel, when they were treated to live video feed straight from the North Pole. After telling Santa their Christmas Wishes, WestJet employees scrambled to surprise them at their landing gate with wrapped treasures! Just like Christmas morning with the family.
Maybe I’m just especially lucky when it comes to co-workers feeling like family, but I think even someone you hire can be a very special person. Jackie Turner, a California college student placed a Craigslist ad looking to hire a family to spend Christmas with. Not only did she receive several invitations to Christmas dinner, she heard from many other young people who were also in need of a place to share some holiday cheer.
Jackie even went the extra mile for her found family, holding a meeting where families and those in need of families could meet up and make plans for the holidays together. Now that’s a gift.
I’ll be spending time with my loved ones on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (the next two Fridays), so there will be a brief hiatus on Thoughts for the Weekend. But, stay tuned for Monday’s “Just Another Mary Monday,” where she helps us plan for New Year’s Eve parties – or the lack thereof!
Best wishes and Happy Holidays to you and your family from the entire team at
Matchmaker Logistics,
~Bob
