Every day seems like a new “National Day of Recognition for….”  But what about the days in between?  Or what about those who don’t have a national holiday?  This letter is for the forgotten ones, those unnamed heroes in our lives who we so often fail to thank for their selfless service to this world:


Dear No One,

Thank you.

You know who you are. Others do not.

You work behind the scenes. Your work ethic far surpasses those around you, but we fail to notice how amazing you are because you never look for recognition.

You remain silent when others are unnecessarily loud. In a world of arguments and debates you are not without opinion; you simply choose not to participate. Instead, you watch and listen, looking for practical ways to make a concrete difference.

You are loyal and dedicated.

You are humble.

There may or may not be an annual national day of recognition that celebrates your work and service. If there isn’t, there should be. If there is, we apologize that it takes a “special day” to remind us how incredible you are everyday.

You clean up our messes, often without our knowledge.

You protect us from harm, often without our knowledge.

You defend our reputation, often without our knowledge.

You are the “Anonymous” behind the donation, the unnamed “Friend” behind the encouraging gift, the “Unexplainable Miracle” that makes things happen without caring if people know how.

You are among a hidden list of saints, heroes, standout employees, and recipients of honor whose names are never read or written, even though you deserve more accolades than those whose are.

You live in the furthest corners of the world, the quietest corners of the building, the forgotten corners of the nursing home, the most demanding corners of the hospital, the scariest corners of society. You spend most of your time in places we only remember when a photo from that invisible realm of life appears in our newsfeed.

Chances are, you’ll never even see this thank you note. As we read this on our computers, tablets and phones, you’re currently out there working to make this world a better place.

The truth is, the fact that you don’t get recognized bothers those of us sending this Thank You Letter more than it bothers you.

Our ability to be “anyone” is made possible by your openness to being “no one,” which really makes you more “someone” than we could ever dream of being.

So thank you for being you.

You know who you are.



Those of us who should


Who does this describe for you?  Don’t wait to tell them.  Use this as your reminder to call that person right now and let them know how much you appreciate them!



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