I was going about my day and had stopped at a former neighbor to check on her, a person who has become a 'family member' simply because she is awesome and she happened to live next door to me for a few years. I am lucky to have her in my life. I was checking on her and backing out of her driveway when I noticed a sign, on the other side of the street, it was some distance, but as it was getting dark, I went about my day, with the question in my mind, "What was it?"

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Another visit, this time during the day, and I was able to check it out. The sign, as you might have noticed said, "To all Essential Workers, Thank You! Please Help Yourself."

So, what did I do? Being my naturally inquisitive self, I had to check it out. Of course, I did this pretty positive that I was not going to find a cooler full of snakes or anything like that. I just wanted to find out more.

How were these people saying "Thank You?" Was it bottles of water? Was it warm gloves? What were they doing, to affect someone else's day? So, here is what I found when I opened up the pictured cooler, today.

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What you can't see (because I am not the worlds best photographer and cut it out of the shot) is the bottle of hand sanitizer that is next to the cooler. How cute and how just simply kind are the people behind this cooler full of snacks? While I am not sure how many people have taken advantage of this, nor do I know how many times it has been re-stocked, the meaning is there and it is all too often forgotten.

  1. Simple kindness is so amazing and so often, not the way the world works.
  2. This is a beautiful example of paying it forward. I cannot imagine, the smile this would bring to someone's face, simply because they were remembered.
  3. How are you thanking someone? Anyone? An essential worker, the person who stops to let you know you left your car open, the person who picked up your garbage cans from the middle of the street? The person who held the door?

Let this be a simple reminder to us all as we begin a new year, one that is full of hope and hopefully better health for all of us, ask yourself this. Is there one thing I can do per day to be kinder to someone? Can I slow down, not get heated when things aren't going my way and just remember that we are all in this one life together? Let's get along, remember to say please and always try to say Thank You?

Thank you, not only to "Essential Workers" but to everyone who deserves it. Which is harder to say? Thank you or I'm sorry?

Essential workers, no, we could not have done it without you these last 9 months, nor will we be able to rebuild stronger without you as well. Thank you and remember when some of us forget to say thank you, or when we are just cranky, we are sometimes new to saying Thank you and being appreciative, but we will keep trying, one act of kindness at a time.

READ MORE: Poughkeepsie Then & Now

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