Cheers To Those Working

Cheers To Those Working

John Paul Derryberry

It was 2008. I owned a PlayStation 2 and not much else, and I was in my second year working in a rehabilitation facility for teens who suffered trauma. The alarm kicked off on Christmas morning at 7:15 a.m., just enough time to wake up, shower, get dressed, and make it to work by 8 a.m. for a 14-hour shift. I was not married, didn't have kids, and was only half serious about my professional career. I fit the bill of a guy who should work on Christmas. Other co-workers had their lives together way better than I did or at least carried more responsibilities than I did outside of work.

I arrived on time, and the handful of kids who didn't have a place to call home stirred awake. They opened the gifts the agency purchased for them, and that stemmed the tide of sadness that comes with having to spend the holidays away from family. We planned zero programming on the holiday because we are not monsters. So I nudged one of the kids and said, "I feel like playing video games all day." His face lit up like the Christmas tree we had in the commons area. He said yes, but how?

I said, "Go grab my backpack and open it. " He pulled out the PlayStation 2 and four controllers and screamed, "No way! " Next out game, the X-men Legends 2- Rise of Aplocypose and he, two other kids, and I proceeded to play 10 hours of video games. We broke for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and medication. They yelled at each other, screamed for joy at beating a demanding boss at the end of levels, and, more importantly, they sank into being normal kids on Christmas morning. They were just kids playing games all day for at least one Christmas.

It's easy to forget that in the tussle of the holiday season, people are working to make the holiday safe for others, in the medical field, in the service industry, and in the keeping us safe industry. Folks who sacrifice so others can get more time with family, see their kids open their presents in the morning, or experience countless other holiday traditions. These people are making people's day all just by working a holiday. I make it a habit to remember those days I worked with those kids on Christmas morning. It is a reminder of people's vast experiences in life in many and varied ways.

So, as we roll into the holidays on Christmas Eve and morning, there is a tug at us to forget to remember all those folks making it possible. Cheers to those who work, cheers to those who used to work these days, and cherish them a little bit more because they understand they are not guaranteed. And cheers to your family and friends. I hope everyone has a great holiday, whether you are with family and friends or you are a person making a stranger’s day on the clock. Enjoy the holidays, my friends.