A Week Of Appreciation

This week is Teacher AND Nurses Appreciation week. Two jobs that are often very under appreciated.

Teachers play so many roles; mentor, leader, nursemaid, instructor, chef, and much, much more. Often for very little pay. Their work hours don't end when your child goes home. They spend a great deal of their own time and money to help give your children the best education and head start in life that they can. These men and women are often the biggest and most constant influence in a child's life, after their parents. That is a role that they take very seriously. And we should too.

Nurses are another often overlooked group. And much like teachers, they too wear many hats. From holding your hand in comfort, distracting you from the pain, sharing in your sorrow, to sponge bathing you and more. They are life savers, and care givers. A good nurse will treat you with kindness and compassion, and sometimes those are the strongest kinds of medicine you can receive. They work long hours, and sacrifice time with their loved ones to do a very difficult job.

While no one goes into either of these jobs looking for a constant pat on the back, we all know how good it can feel to be appreciated. So if you have children in school, or have a nurse in your life, take a moment and say thank you to these special people. Let them know you notice what they do, and that it matters. I promise you, it WILL make a difference to them.
And if you want to go that extra mile, here are some suggestions for gift ideas:

Teachers
1. Gift cards (and not just for coffee and books)
2. Classroom supplies
3. Donations to the school, or offers to volunteer
4. Gift certificates for things like massages, manicures, facials, etc.
5. Unique/Custom gift baskets
*Go easy on the #1 Teacher items. While I'm sure they appreciate the thought, they have hundreds of students, and really... how many mugs does one person really need?

Nurses
1. Gift cards
2. Gift certificates for things like massages, manicures, pedicures, facials, etc.
3. Gift baskets with healthy snacks, books, magazines, etc.
4. Donations to charity
5. Nice bottle of wine (if you know them & know they drink)
*Avoid the trite "Nurses are Angels" type gifts. While it IS the thought that counts, often times that thought is just one more thing they have to dust.