OrangeYouBold: Spread appreciation goes a long way

Published 12:34 am Wednesday, June 23, 2021

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OrangeYouBold

Tricia Stroud
OrangeYouBold

Hello beautiful people. This week I thought a discussion about appreciation, gratitude and kindness would be fitting. It’s summer and we are all heading out for extravagant vacations and little getaways. We all need some type of relaxation, I am certain of it. The pandemic has changed the world at its core in my opinion. The way we think, the things we take pause to, and the way we live our lives. This past weekend presented me with another opportunity to teach my youngest daughter how to extend gratitude.

We had a short hotel stay and it is obvious things are still not the norm. I particularly never request service for our room. I only request towels daily and we keep our own room tidy, so things are pretty normal for my expectations. I cringe at the thought of leaving our things sprawled across the room for someone else to pick up. We live in a world where people are often times not seen. I despise this behavior. The housekeepers, the bell hops, and all service workers are no different than you and I. I challenge you to remember that while you are on your summer travels. They have families, personalities and full lives outside of their jobs just like you do. Why am I talking about this? It is so important and sometimes we need to remember that great days can cause a chain reaction of great days. How awesome is that? I think it is pretty awesome.

This weekend as we were packing up to leave our hotel, I reminded my daughter to always be thoughtful of those who are servicing our room. They have a family and possibly children they are providing for. We make sure to pick up all the towels and leave them on the counter, so the housekeeper doesn’t have to bend over and pick them all up. It is a small gesture of consideration. If it makes one room easier to clean, then I have done my job and it isn’t hurting anyone in my family one bit to do this. Do you love bending over to pick up laundry? I don’t either and no it is not what I do for a living, but what does that matter. My 13-year-old daughter always says it’s not hard to be a decent human. I agree with her 100 percent.

I will end with this last gesture. Make it a priority to bring cash for a tip for those that serve you on your vacations. Put it in your budget. You don’t have to leave $50, but I think you should absolutely leave something. Coffee or lunch money will brighten someone’s day. If you aren’t able to budget anything at all, you should pick up the pen and pad. Say thank you. Your kind words will go a long way. OrangeYouBold…yes I am.

Email me about a time you showed kindness on your travels. I would love to share. orangeyoubold@gmail.com.71