Gratitude

Every Christmas I give small gifts to the people who keep our rather complicated household running; Teresa who cleans for us, Mum’s weekday caregivers Wai and Carolyn, the staff at the  rest home Mum visits 2 days a week and who deliver a midday meal the other 3 weekdays, our fabulous doctors clinic, and the Hawera Hospital A&E and Hawera Hospital Inpatient’s Ward Doctors and staff.

Yes, I know they are all ‘only doing their jobs’ but without some of them Mum would have died years ago now, and we would not be able to care for her at home. We just couldn’t, so I am immensely grateful. I give a range of gifts – this year A&E and the inpatient ward are getting (slightly late) a handmade gift box each with fancy coffee bags, fruit tea, butter shortbread, cashew nuts and a few chocolate truffles. And a card that says “never underestimate the difference you make in our lives” because I think in the hustle of the day-to-day they must sometimes lose sight of just how powerful what they do really is.