The Spirit of Christmas

I work at a huge facility. I get my work out in by just walking around the entire building. We cover an entire city block and are three stories high. There is a lot of cleaning to be done once children bulldoze through the place. It's a handful just to clean up after all those kids and not a job I envy.

Robert. Robert is the man that has this job. Robert is around 55 years old, is usually seen with his skirt of trash bags around his waste, his trash can on wheels and his boom box blasting Christmas music.

Every day Robert greets me with a big smile and says, "good mornin', Katie! How ya doin'?" I can't help but smile when I am around Robert and I usually respond with, "I'm good, Robert, how are you?" He continues to smile, usually doesn't hear my question and says, "That's good, that's good."

Robert usually gets really nervous around me and fumbles with his trash bags or his keys. He even comments on his jittery-ness and says, "I'm sorry, can you back up, you make me nervous!" We laugh and he continues working. That's usually how it works with him...he keeps to himself and gets his work done. He is such a hard worker.

Today, he came into my office to take out my trash and said, "Merry Christmas, Katie. How ya doin'?" I stopped typing long enough to look at him, he was smiling that same contagious smile and I said, "Merry Christmas, Robert. I'm doing well. How are you?" He took my trash, fumbled with the trash bag and said, "Do you think I can get everyone in the Christmas spirit by Christmas?" I told him he could do anything and he laughed, replaced my trash bag and walked out of my office. As he was leaving he said, "Katie, I think that's you and I get along so well...we both carry the Christmas spirit."

After my last post, I must say, Robert turned my week around. Robert has very little to his name, is often overlooked by the kids and staff but continues the same cheery persona day in and day out. His simple smile and simple way of going about his work adds so much to my day. Just by asking me how I'm doing and honestly caring about my answer, Robert helps to remind me why I'm here. Tomorrow I'm going to beat him to the punch and say, "Good mornin' Robert, how ya doin'?" before he gets a chance to ask me...and I am going to sincerely listen to his answer, because that's the spirit of Christmas.