TOMORROW is Thank You Day – a time to reflect on what we have been through during the pandemic and to show our gratitude to those who have made a difference.
It is a community-led idea backed by organisations including the Football Association, Scouts, Guides and Royal Voluntary Service.
Many famous faces have given their support, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and England captain Harry Kane.
Boris said: “I pay tribute to all those who have gone above and beyond to help others throughout the pandemic. It has been truly inspiring to view the astonishing national effort.”
Harry said: “As a squad, we wanted to be part of saying thank you to everyone who has got us through the past 16 months. We all have people to be grateful for and Thank You Day is a moment we’re proud to be a part of.
“Whoever you’re thanking, join your neighbours and communities to say thank you together.”
Here, five Sun writers take a moment to remember those people who have helped them.
For more information, go to thankyouday.org.uk.
Rhian Sugden
FIRSTLY, a huge thank you to my mum, who has kept me going through some tough times during lockdown.
From her daily phone calls to her silly sense of humour, she’s been so good to me and always has a smile on her face, no matter what.
Secondly, I’d like to thank all delivery drivers, from takeaways to parcel drop-offs.
Every morning felt like Christmas Day with the random items I bought over the three lockdowns. I hope people appreciate how much they have done.
And finally, I’d like to thank Fleetwood Mac for being my epic soundtrack to 2020.
Jane Moore
WITH NHS staff, all carers and my family as a given, I would also like to thank Jan van Haasteren and Mike Jupp for their fun, wonderfully imaginative jigsaws that sustained me through the many grey, otherwise inactive days of lockdown.
Also, to the TikTokers who upload all the old TV clips that keep me amused for hours; the highly amusing Love Of Huns on Instagram, which always makes me laugh; the movie We Bought A Zoo for when I need a good, uplifting weep.
Garibaldi biscuits; sweet and salty popcorn; do-it-yourself healthy meal company Mindful Chef; online shopping; my wonderful friends and dog-walking posse; newspapers; the North Downs veterinary hospital that saved our dog Jasper’s life in February; and finally, all of The Sun’s Jabs Army and other volunteers who helped with the vaccination programme or assisted those in need. Thank you.
Alex James
MY mother-in-law was deemed high-risk and had to isolate completely.
She’d recently lost her husband and was very much alone despite living close to us.
Like many of her generation, she struggles with ordering anything on a computer.
While we were able to organise food deliveries, she had very little contact with anyone at all and, crucially, was unable to get her hands on her vital TV Quick magazine to plan her daily viewing.
Jo the post lady would go to the newsagent in her own time and pick up a copy for dear Nana every week. She was always there with a smile and a “Hello, how are you?” as she delivered the mail.
Simple acts of pure, unselfish human kindness like this are enough to give us all hope.
It meant the world to Nana and to other elderly people in the village Jo has been keeping an eye on.
Dear Jo, I salute you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Rob Rinder
WE take for granted the work of the people who were there at the most difficult moments.
There are far too many to mention but I would like to say thank you to two, one big and one, maybe, small.
Our police officers, who are often forced to work in ways they would not choose, found themselves supporting our frontline NHS workers.
We only hear about them when things go wrong, rather than the incidents of them saving lives and protecting people despite the terrifying presence of the virus.
They were there to support the vulnerable, to stand in front of hospitals and alongside ambulance drivers, many of whom experienced threats of violence.
For millions of us, local post offices are our local shops, places of information where staff know about the health of local people.
They stayed open to provide what might be a small service to some but is a critical lifeline to millions.
Ulrika Jonsson
I’m a tactile, affectionate person. So to be told we had to stay away from the comfort of each other was difficult.
I found myself at home alone with three children, then two. My only real escape was dog walks with people in my village.
The regulars I bumped into sustained me through this difficult time.
We kept our distance, talked about our hopes and fears, despair and desperation.
There’s lovely Jo, whose jolly face greeted me without fail every time. Zach, young, calm and collected. Fran, our gentle giant of a man, with punchy lines and sarcasm. Martin, who kept my head level.
And a special call out to someone who has become a close friend because I became obsessed with her Basset hound Marmalade — my friend since January, Emma.
Both single mums with an unhealthy obsession with dogs and a passion for food and cooking.
One very special person who I’ve known for probably 20 years but I don’t know at all is my local Parcelforce driver.
I don’t even know his name. But he would turn up at my doorstep — a frontline worker despite his diabetes — and we would chew the fat for minutes at a time.
His presence brought me a sense of normality when all else around me was falling apart.
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