Every morning when I get to work, I find that my overflowing trash can has been emptied, my carpet has been freshly vacuumed, and all the spaces around me have been tidied.
I don’t have to think about it, worry about it, or spend time wondering, “Will my space be cleaned up tomorrow morning?”
It just is.
And it’s not some magical process where a genie swoops through and waves a magic wand and–poof! Order and beauty appear. (If that were the case, I’d hire that genie to visit my house.)
No, all the tidiness appears because conscientious people show up every night when all the office workers go home. They do their important work after all the company’s presidents, vice presidents, middle managers, big wigs and small wigs (that’s me) have packed up and left.
And nine times out of ten, their work is never noticed. It’s overlooked. It’s taken for granted. Maybe sometimes we office workers are even tempted to feel deserving of it because we work hard in our jobs and surely that means we are worth having someone clean up after us.
But we’re not so much deserving as we are blessed. Blessed to have our lives intersect with nighttime workers who take pride in their job, those men and women who receive satisfaction from walking into a mess and leaving order behind. They will probably never meet the people they clean for. But it doesn’t matter because they’re not doing it for the people–they’re doing it for the pride of a job well done.
So why am I writing about this today?
Because I have thought about it numerous times since I started this new job. Each time I walk into the building and see my empty trash can I stop and think, “Someone did that for me. I’m grateful.”
And I’m also writing about it because it was my brother, Mark’s, birthday this week and in my birthday text to him, I mentioned this very subject. Mark is one of those hard-working people who for many years has cleaned office buildings at night.
When I mentioned to him how grateful I am for the person who cleans my space every evening and for all the people like him, he replied, “Thanks. Custodians are the invisible workers of America and we always appreciate a kind word.”
There are so many invisible workers around us. At least they are invisible until, for some reason, they don’t do their job. And then we realize, “Oh yeah. That person really does make a big difference.”
So I want to dedicate this part of the blog to Mark and to all the tens of thousands of people out there who keep our spaces clean. No one should do important work like that and remain invisible or unappreciated.
Steve took Madi out for her 8th birthday on Friday. Can you believe our granddaughter is already older than Sarah was when she was diagnosed with cancer? And some of you have been reading the blog that whole time.
On Saturday, we celebrated Father’s Day and Madi’s birthday with a cookout. Here are a few photos from the day.
Sarah made Red Velvet cupcakes, at Madi’s request.
And speaking of Sarah, she gave Madi a special gift. That little box Madi is holding hung in the kitchen for many years when Ken and Vernie lived here.
If you pull the string at the bottom, it plays music; when Sarah was small, she would play the music and dance around the kitchen, much to Vernie’s delight. When Vernie passed, Sarah asked if she could have the little music box.
As it turns out, a few weeks later, Madi asked where the box had gone because she had also loved it. Sarah decided that she would give it to Madi for her birthday. It was such a sweet moment.
Sarah and Meagan also chose a camera from Ken’s collection. (He loved photography.) Sarah (and Gage ) chose the really old one and Meagan chose one that was from the 40’s.
When it came time to open cards, Gage presented his usual wonderful original artwork to both Steve and Madi.
We all especially enjoyed his card for Steve showing two small girls climbing onto some drums with one of them tucking some drumsticks into her waistband.
Here’s the inside of the card. (Get it?)
I especially love the look of love on Nathan’s face as he listens to Steve reading what Gage and Sarah had written inside the card.
After that presentation was done, I cleared my throat and said, “Well, I just want to say that Gage is always making artistic cards and giving them to family members. I know he thinks he’s all that when it comes to artwork and I think it’s time he knows that there are other people who can draw just as well as he can.”
Everyone was kind of looking at me like, “What? Where is she going with this?”
I went on to add, “I just want Gage to know there is competition in the family and that I have hand-crafted my own creative card for Nathan”
When everyone saw it, they just started laughing uproariously.
They especially loved my dog which they all agreed looked like a 3-legged platypus. (That’s why I labeled the creature so that everyone would know what it was.)
Here are my favorite two photos: the two beloved dads in the family, enjoying each other’s company.
And let me pause right here to talk about the father of my two children. He and I have partnered together for 33 years raising Nathan and Sarah. No dad is perfect and he would never say he was. But I’ve watched him with the kids through the years–teaching them, feeding them, tucking them to bed, playing with them, reading to them, disciplining them, praying with them, and loving them. I couldn’t have asked for a better dad for our children.
And as I watched Nathan and Meagan with their kids, I think again about the whole “invisible worker” thing. Parenting is not made up of huge, publicized acts that everyone notices; instead, it is made up of many small, invisible acts.
On Saturday I saw Nathan get up from the recliner to play catch with Andrew even though he would rather have sat and rested after lunch. I saw Meagan fill plates for the kids first, even though she was also hungry.
And for all parents with kids at home, those kinds of things happen dozens of times throughout the day, all during the dozen-and-a-half years they have kids under their roof.
Unsung heroes. Unnoticed acts. Unconditional love given over and over, even in the midst of ongoing fatigue and weariness.
It’s not till all those small acts are stitched together that a child can look back from his or her eighteenth birthday and l see the full tapestry of love that was created.
So in closing, my hat is off to parents who get up and show up even when they feel too depleted to take another step.
It’s off to people who keep buildings clean and are rarely noticed or thanked.
And it’s off to so many, many others who work behind the scenes, faithful and unseen.
There are people all around us who are doing tasks that are important and unappreciated. Why don’t we make it a goal to find one of those people this week and just say, “Thank you.” Because one thank you, as small as it seems, will mean the world to someone who doesn’t often hear it. (I am planning to leave a note on my desk this week and thank the cleaning team for what they do.)
What about you?
Are you in a job where you feel like you are often unnoticed? If so, we are noticing (and thanking you) right now!
Are you in a job where you are aware of people around you doing unnoticed tasks? What can you do to let them know they are appreciate?
What are some other unnoticed workers you can hink of to bring to our attention?
Which father(s?) are you thankful for this weekend?
Happy Birthday Madi. And she got to wear the hat!!! What a great day for her when Grandpa takes her out! I no longer work outside the home, but when I pray for organizations, I pray for the CEO all the way to the janitor. You never know what is going on in their lives. Also for the finances of Christian organizations that I contribute to. Gage, you never cease to amaze, the wonderful cards you create. Have you thought of selling yours? So thankful for my dad. I was not born into a Christian home. He was an entertainer and played in bars with his trio. But the Lord found him and he became a minister of the Gospel for about 35 years. He and mom passed way in 2011. My dad-in-law was a quiet man who had been a farmer. A dear man, he has been gone for about 25 years.
Sharyn,
How interesting that your dad dad was an entertainer turned minister. That’s like Steve’s story! I know you are thankful every day for the change in his life and how that change so greatly affected you and the rest of your family.
I love that you pray for the CEO all the way to the janitor in different organizations. You have such a wonderful heart for people.
Becky, to use a baseball term, you just hit it out of the park. Such insightful, and beautiful writing.
The invisible workers aren’t noticed, until they don’t do their jobs. Thank you for highlighting them, and parents. For about a year, I worked the night shift at a nursing home, caring for residents who might be up during the night, doing laundry, and cleaning. It gave me such an appreciation for those who work during the unseen hours.
I remember tagging alongside my great aunt, as a kid, while she was cleaning doctor’s offices. I don’t figure they’d let a kid do that now, but I still remember watching my great aunt work, and it was surreal for me to be in an office, without workers or patients. I think of her, 50 years later, every time I’m in a dentist’s office, looking at all the stuff, neat and orderly.
When visiting museums, I ALWAYS wonder what it must be like to dust the exhibits! I’ve visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City several times. The frames on some of those pics are crazy intricate. How do they dust those?! And the statues?! I’d love to work a night shift there for maybe a week!
Ann,
I never thought about cleaning in a museum until you brought it up! Not just the intricacy of the pieces but the value of them would be a challenge to clean! I bet those folks are very highly skilled and trained.
Working the night shift at a nursing home would be a challenging, rewarding position. For those hours each night, you were everything to those patients; their friend, their comforter, their listener. Thank you for making such a difference in those people’s lives–even if it was just for year, that was a lot of lives you touched.
Thanks for your affirmation about my writing; your words are a blessing
I dont often respond to your posts but I wanted to share about my elementary school custodians. We had a husband wife team of custodians. They were wonderful and knew the names of every kid and most parents. Later when the school was renovated they named the gym after the custodians.
You have a beautiful family.
Mary,
What a cool thing for a husband and wife to work together as custodians. Since Steve and I have spent most of our marriage working side by side, I have a true appreciation for the privilege that working with a spouse is. And I love how they went the extra mile, learning kids (and parents’) names and making everyone feel special. Hooray for a school named after them–they deserved it!
I feel very blessed to have my sweet family.
I always made my students clean up the classroom before we left so the custodians job would be lighter. Often, someone would say, “don’t we have people to do this”, to which my response was always that if I was the person responsible I would appreciate what we are doing here now. Always trying to teach my students to think about the people who are doing those anonymous jobs. I often told my students that we would be in a literal and figurative mess should those jobs not get done.
Gage is quite an artist! What a wonderful gift he has. Sarah has such a sweet heart. I’m sure Madi will never forget her gift or her precious aunt who gave it to her.
Lisa,
I love that you taught your students to think about the people doing the anonymous jobs. That is a lesson they will carry with them for a lifetime and who knows how many anonymous people will be blessed as a result–all because of your teaching and your caring heart.
Yes, Gage is definitely an amazing artist. I hope someday he can make an income with his heart; he’s one creative fellow!
Beautifully written Becky. I too am grateful for my sweet husband Mike and the wonderful father that he is. We will be first time grandparents in December and we can’t wait to watch our son Ben take on the role of father. We are praying many prayers for him and his wife Megan. Blessings.
Donna,
First time grandparents. Hooray! It is definitely gratifying to watch your child become a parent; there is such joy and pride in watching them raise the next generation.
Congrats!
I have the utmost respect for cleaning people. I cleaned the offices at my work for about 4 years in the evenings after work when my daughter was in high school to help pay for her car. It’s hard, thankless work. We also had a diesel repair shop so a couple of those offices got especially dirty as well as the shop bathroom. Yuck. I was SO glad to be done with that job! Hats off to all custodial workers!!!
Happy 8th birthday Madi!! I love your outfit and sunglasses!😎❤️
Happy Father’s day Steve and Nathan! Hope you had a great day!!
LeeAnne,
I’m impressed that you had the energy and tenacity to clean your office after working in it all day–especially cleaning a repair job and its bathroom! You definitely know the meaning of hard work.
Madi definitely has some style going on, doesn’t she? -)
What a lovely post! In our school district we have custodians on duty during the day while we’re there, and others that come later in the day, but start sweeping halls, etc. before the students and faculty leave. As with all positions in public schools, these can be hard to fill, so we are thankful for them and let them know they are appreciated. And also, one day a year they are recognized by the school and employees pitch in to feed them and give them small gifts of appreciation.
Sue Ellen,
That is so great that you district sets aside a day each year to honor the custodians. They do such important jobs day in and day out. Kudos to you and the people you work with for sharing appreciation!
Towards the end of my dad’s working life, he was the custodian at the dairy factory he worked at. He liked the job as he had weekends off and he could go in early and get off early. My brother also worked there but my dad had retired before he started there. Many people told my brother that they had never had a custodian as good since my dad left.
Before I retired, there were certain times of the year where i worked longer hours. I would often still be working when the cleaning crew came by. I always tried to have my trash can set out where they could get to it easily and thanked them when they gave it back to me. I’m sure your cleaning crew will appreciate a note from you. you never know what kind of day they’ve had before they got to work. A simple thank you can go a long way.
While they’re not completely invisible, the laundry people at a long-term facility are behind the scenes workers. About the only time you see them is when they bring clothes to residents’ rooms. I’m sure it’s not the most glamorous position to have but they are definitely valuable to my parents!
With your card making skills, Hallmark will be recruiting you! 🙂
I celebrated my dad this Father’s Day weekend. At almost 97, I never know when it might be the last one I get with him. I took him barbecue ribs, baked beans and potato salad on Saturday. After nearly two years, in the long-term care facility, he gets a little tired of the food they have so it was a welcome treat for him.
Phyllis,
I’m glad that someone else agrees that my skills are worthy of a Hallmark card! 🙂
That’s a great unnoticed group to mention–those who do laundry at long-term facility, hospital, etc. Cleanliness and fresh linens and towels are so important which makes the people who do that work very important.
And I loved how you thanked the cleaning crew for their work when you saw them and set your trash can out. So many of those small niceties are falling by the wayside these days. I know your thoughtfulness was appreciated.
I agree with you whole heartedly about how incredibly important the jobs of the behind the scenes workers are. I often think of that when I’m in a public building and I know that those shiny floors and clean bathrooms only happen because of the hard work of that unseen army. I need to do better at saying thank you when I see one of those VIPs!
And yes, a million thanks to our own brother, Mark! His hard work over the years has kept many an office or company in working order. So thankful for and amazed by his faithful work.
It just makes all kinds of sunbeams in my heart when I read about and see the pictures of you and Steve enjoying the company of your kids and grands! Each of those pictures made me smile. And kudos to you for showing Gage he ain’t the only game in town when it comes to card making! 😁
Sending love!
Deb
Deb,
Since you are the “clean sister” of the three of us, I’m sure you notice more than most people public buildings that are especially clean. It is such a joy to walk into a tidy, clean space and know that someone behind the scenes took the trouble to make it that way. And joining you in kudos to Mark!
I love the thought of “sunbeams in your heart.” Steve and I are so blessed to have the kids and grands near; in fact, he’s babysitting the two youngest on Wednesday for a couple of hours which should be quite the adventure. These days will pass all too soon and we want to grasp all the moments.
Yes, I really did show Gage a thing or two about art, didn’t I? Hopefully, he knows his Art Crown is in jeopardy.:-)
I love our office cleaning staff. Their supervisor is one of my favorite people in the whole building. He’s a genuinely kind person, and alway – ALWAYS – has a smile on his face.
Father’s Day is hard for me. I lost my sweet Daddy just over four years ago and I miss him so much it physically hurts. My husband always gets celebrated, though – by me and by my daughter (and son-in-law). He took on both of us when he married me – he got a package deal: me, my 8-year-old, and two cats. He’s been the most amazing, patient, kind, understanding, tolerant, supportive person imaginable.
Love the story of the music box and its significance to Sarah and Madi. 🙂
The lawnmower photos are fabulous – such great memories for the kids!
Stefanie,
I’m so sorry about the loss of your dad. It’s incredible how even after four years, the memories, love, and grief remain. Such a strong tie you had (and still have) with him.
Your husband sounds amazing. Men who step up and take on a ready-made family have bigger than big hearts; it sounds like you and your daughter truly got a man in a million!
We were taught (one of the most important things my parents taught us) to treat the custodian with the same respect you treat the principal.
Purple Sushi,
I love that concept. So very, very true.
When I was in college I worked nights and week-ends for an industrial maintenance company, cleaning tennis clubs and factories….it’s a tough job so thank you Becky, for recognizing those invisible workers. Looking back now I can’t believe I went to school full time and then worked until 2 a.m.!!!
Dale,
I’m impressed you kept up the school/work schedule you did, especially since your job sounded physically demanding and tiring. Cleaning tennis clubs and factories would really take it out of you.
You must have been dancing a happy jig when you graduated!
Love those pictures and stories!
For a couple years when I was working the Environmental Management staff (housekeepers) fell under my line of supervision. A lot of times their work formed unnoticed so love your tribute!
They play such a critical role in a hospital! Not only in cleaning the offices in the administrative areas but also the clinical areas and the patient rooms. They are the ones to clean and disinfect the rooms to make sure they are safe for the next patients in the clinics, ER and surgical suites. They visit with the patients while they cleaned their rooms and try to brighten their day. I have countless stories that patients shared about our remarkable staff and how the improved their stay. This was especially important in our nursing home area. When COVID hit, they were on the frontline of keeping us safe. On a lighter note, their periodic potluck lunch celebrations were amazing! Not only for the variety of incredible food but also the laughter and sharing.
Ginny,
What a great tribute YOU wrote about the housekeeping staff where you worked. They sound like an incredible group of people, not just doing the tasks assigned but going above and beyond by visiting with patients and bringing joy to their day while they worked. My hat is off to those amazing people.
And periodic potluck lunches would be the icing on the cake! (Literally and figuratively.)
Great article Becky, I wish more of the invisible could read it. And you really are blessed with a great crew, especially wild man Steve. Debbie told me about this article or I wouldn’t have read all of it. I always check your articles in my email but don’t always read them through.
Mark,
Thanks for your comment; so glad you read the post and got to see how much your work is appreciated. Be sure to read the comments, too. So much good stuff here!
Appreciate you!
I know I always say this, but this is one of your best blogs ever. My favorite photo is Madi driving the lawnmower with Steve’s arms spread out like airplane wings. Regarding expressing appreciation to the janitorial staff – I once read a story about a college professor who put this extra credit question on a final exam: “What is the first name of the janitor on our floor?” Only a few students were able to take advantage of the bonus question. From that time forward, I made a point of learning the first names of janitors in my workplace, classroom or hospital room. I also introduced myself and asked those people to call me by my first name, Many friendships evolved from this simple practice. I attended the funeral of the mother of one of these friends.
Fred and Lucy,
I love your practice of getting to know the names of the janitorial staff wherever you go. And how cool that that you knew one of them well enough to attend the funeral of his mother. Sounds like you have forged some really special relationships.
Yes, Steve and the kids had way too much fun on that lawnmower! I can see that being a highpoint of many future visits.
Thank you so much for your kind words to custodians. My husband is a custodian at an elementary school and often as you say goes unnoticed. He describes some rooms as if a tornado goes through them and the teacher doesn’t care. Others take the time to have the kids pickup pencils, put their chairs on their desks. For all the notice teachers get, custodians go unnoticed.
Shannon,
Oh yes. School custodians are in a whole category of their own.
I have so many memories while attending school of the custodians mopping the floors, wheeling around big cans of trash, being called to clean up messes, etc. I hate to think of what our schools would look like without these conscientious people. Please thank your husband for me.
Great post. Love the card you made. The picture isn’t as important as the thought and love that you put into it. Also love Gages Anna 1 and Anna 2. I wonder how many of younger generations would even know about that. So happy you are going to leave a note for the janitors-I was going to suggest that. I always think about the dishwashers in restaurants. They are rarely seen but do a messy job. Having waitress and dishwashed in a small cafe I remember not liking the dishwashing. Having subbed as a dishwasher in a larger restaurant one night, I really didn’t like that. So heres to dishwashers…
I was fortunate to have a great dad and uncles who were great sub dads when with them.
Patti,
Yes, dishwashing is definitely an important, unseen task. There is no restaurant that could survive without them and yet no one ever sees the hard work they do. I can’t imagine doing that hour after hour; sounds like you know all about it!
Thanks for bringing that job to our attention.
What a wonderful, insightful post. I feel like your invisible custodian tri ute should be published in a paper. Maybe near Thanksgiving?
Greta,
Thanks for your encouragement. I would love to have some version of this published anywhere that would shine a light on these wonderful people!