Joy 60/82: For those who make holidays work

Today I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with two dear friends at a lovely local lodge.  I would like to thank all the people who will be giving up their own holidays to make this day possible for the rest of us.  Wishing a special, if possibly delayed, thanksgiving to:

     -- all the cooks, serving staff and kitchen workers at Tenaya Lodge and every other resort, lodge, restaurant, coffee shop and fast food establishment that is open today.
     -- all the people who keep the hotels, motels and inns open for the holiday travelers
     -- all the policemen and firefighters who keep our highways and streets safe and rescue those of us who come to harm
     -- all of the paramedics, nurses, doctors and medical personnel who tend to our injuries and illnesses
     -- all of the pilots, attendants, mechanics and airport personnel who make it possible for us to see friends and family in far off places
     -- all of the grocery store workers who make it possible for us to buy those last-minute-but-critical items we forgot to get yesterday
     -- all of the social service workers who find that human despair does not take a holiday
     -- everyone else I may have overlooked who is working to make life better for those of us who have the day off.

Please remember that we appreciate your efforts even if it seems like we have come to take them for granted.

About the image:  A year ago ... and a world away ... I was on my way to California for a visit with my step-daughter and granddaughters.  I stopped at the Bagdad Cafe and paid homage to one of my favorite movies and favorite songs.  In case you missed them, here's a video honoring the movie, the cafe and the song: