The Power of ‘Thank You’ – by Amy, the Happiness Ambassador of Team Boo

Last week, one of the hospitals we’re working with was given thirty boxes of fresh produce with money raised by Harvest for Heroes. We threw in some chocolate hampers donated by Cadbury’s and then asked staff to nominate each other to receive one.

.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I sat down to go through the nominations. Certainly not to feel so overwhelmed by the sheer force of genuine human affection. It was a privilege to read them.

.

First of all, I understood that no healthcare professional is an island. Nurses nominated domestics, doctors nominated catering staff, matrons nominated logistic managers, clerks nominated pathologists.

.

I read the same words over again: hard working, committed, strong, tireless. People described their colleagues’ formidable resolve, their energy, their positivity, their kindness, their smiles. I understood that these are no ordinary jobs.

.

I do hope the recipients felt the support of the public – and the organisations that rally that support – as they accepted their tokens of gratitude. However, the process of nominating was so much more than free cauliflower. It was about having that opportunity to say to someone:

.

.

We say none of this enough.

A veg box will last a week (the chocolate will probably last an evening), but people can carry kind words with them for a lifetime.