Honoring Those Who Serve

“Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness –
great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation, and great joy.” -Jim Rohn

There are many different connotations that come to mind when we think of the word “service.”  There is service to our country, the “service industry,” the selling of goods and services, and even the service we at Tropical Smoothie Café provide to our customers. One thought we believe is universal is that service, in whatever form, is very valuable, coveted and appreciated.  And, in that spirit, we want to use our newsletter this month to honor those who serve in so many ways.

May celebrates service providers throughout the month, starting with Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-11.  We’d be willing to bet every one of you has been touched by at least one teacher in your life.  And so it’s fitting that a week is set aside to honor our teachers (though certainly, we encourage you to honor them throughout the school year as well). What are some of the ways you can show your appreciation to those who have such a far-reaching impact on the future generations of America?

• Find a beloved past teacher on Facebook or whitepages.com and send them a message, thanking them for the positive impact they had on your life.
• Have your child hand write / color a “thank you” card for their current teacher(s), and enclose a gift card.  Try to find out what your child’s teacher really enjoys – whether a specific coffee shop, reading books on Kindle, or even Tropical Smoothie (we provided a donation to one local elementary school of $5 Tropical Smoothie gift cards – bet those teachers will be happy!)
• Send a note to the principal of the school expressing how much you appreciate one of your favorite teachers, or your child’s teacher, and be specific.  Telling others how great someone is can be one of the highest forms of flattery.

Did you know that National Hospital Week is also this week (May 7-13), with Nurses Day specifically on May 12?  While we hope that you all have been healthy and haven’t visited a hospital recently, we know that those doctors, nurses and orderlies who staff our hospitals make a tremendous difference in the lives of those they treat, comfort and care for.  Want to show them how much you care about them?

• A homemade cookie platter delivered to the nurses’ station will be a welcome treat – whether on May 12 or any other day.  A fruit tray is a also a good, healthy alternative (it is a hospital after all)!
• Recruit a team of people to bring bouquets of balloons and flowers and hand them out in the hallways to everyone wearing a hospital badge, with a genuine “thank you for all you do” as you give each balloon or flower away.
• Send a letter to local newspapers and television stations expressing your appreciation for a specific doctor, nurse or hospital that made a personal impact on you or your family.  It may just be picked up and printed in Letters to the Editor or aired during a consumer section of the newscast.

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother” -Abraham Lincoln

On Mother’s Day, May 13, millions of cards and flowers will be sent, phone calls and Facebook posts made, and hugs given to our beloved moms. We honor our mothers best by how we live our lives, but Mother’s Day is a day that’s set aside to be sure we express to our moms what we should be telling them all year – how much we love them and how much they have meant to us…whether they are still with us or waiting for us in heaven.  Here are some other ideas for expressing that love:

• Write a letter that includes all the favorite memories you have of time spent with your mom (include photos if you have them). If you live close, you could treat her to lunch and personally tell her about some of your favorite memories with her or share specific things you appreciate about your growing up years.  With compliments to The Power of Moms mommy blogger, here are some of the best ideas we found to honor your mom: http://powerofmoms.com/2012/05/simple-and-meaningful-mothers-day-ideas/.
• Fill a jar or a hand-decorated box with slips of paper containing “reasons why I love you” so that every week (or whenever she can use a pick-me-up), she can reach in the jar and be reminded how much you care about her and how important she is to you.
• Surprise her by showing up at her church on Sunday, even if you aren’t the church-going kind. You may be surprised by how much this small gesture means to her. Or, if you do attend the same church, bring a bouquet of flowers with you so all of her friends can see how loved and appreciated she is.  Mothers of children young and old love being appreciated publicly – and you know she is always bragging about you in public, so prove her right!

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls is Police Week. You may not know, but tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC that week to participate in a number of events to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for their service. You could participate in this observance in several ways:

• We have a number of Police Officers who visit our Tropical Smoothie Café, perhaps because when in uniform they receive 50% off, or maybe just because they like us as much as we appreciate them! Whatever the reason, we bet they’d appreciate gift cards dropped off at the station. Don’t worry, we will also be honoring them on May 15^th as well with a free smoothie at either of our locations.
• Join in spirit with those in Washington DC to honor fallen Peace Officers on May 13^th with a candlelight vigil, or join the website of the national vigil online at: http://support.nleomf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=CandlelightVigilRegistration

Armed Forces Day is May 19^th, set aside time to pay tribute to the men and women who bravely serve our country in the armed forces every day.  And, right here in Las Vegas, in celebration of Armed Forces Day, The Palazzo and Southwest Airlines have joined with the Armed Forces Foundation and Omaha Steaks® to salute our nation’s wounded veterans with a weekend of world-class entertainment, dining and relaxation from May 16 to 19.  Southwest Airlines will fly the wounded warriors from military hospitals in San Antonio, Texas to Las Vegas where they will be met with a police motorcade to escort them to The Palazzo.  A cheering crowd of guests and Palazzo team members will greet the troops at a grand welcome reception at 11 a.m. in the resort’s Waterfall & Atrium Gardens, where the resort will be decked out in patriotic decor in celebration of their arrival. This event is open to the public – consider coming to show your support on Wednesday, May 16 (http://www.armedforcesfoundation.org/).

Last, but certainly not least, the month of May culminates with Memorial Day on May 28.  In our opinion, it is a day of reverence and commemoration – and worthy of much more reflection than the outdoor BBQs, celebration of the start of summer and mattress sales that the day has become known for.  That’s not say we shouldn’t enjoy all of those things, but we hope that taking the time to remember the sacrifice of all the men and women who have died in military service for the United States, and the families they left behind, is part of your annual tradition.  Specifically, you may consider starting some traditions this Memorial Day:

• Fly a flag at half-staff outside your home from dawn until noon.
• Visit the Red Rock Conservation Area visitor’s center for the Defending Freedom Memorial, honoring Nevadans who have died in Iraq or Afghanistan while serving their country.
• Many visit a local cemetery and place an American flag on each grave of those showing military service.

 

May is rich with ways to honor those who serve us in life-changing ways.  We hope you will take advantage of some of these ideas throughout the month. We also take seriously our goal to serve you each and every time you visit our café. While we may not have the impact of a teacher, nurse, mother, police officer or warrior, we hope we can make your day a little brighter (and healthier) each time you visit our us.  Thank you for the opportunity to serve YOU!  Please let us know when we do it well, and when there’s something we can do even better.

At your service,

Kriss & Michelle Shriver