Thanksgiving Celebration with the SimplyBook.me Family

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Today is Thanksgiving in the US, but there is much we can be grateful for all over the world. So we decided to celebrate, too.

I understand the meaning and the reasons for Thanksgiving in the US and Canada, but I wonder why there isn’t a global celebration of gratitude and thankfulness when we all give thanks for the small things (and the big ones) that make our lives worth living.

Okay, so we didn’t exactly do the whole turkey and pecan pie thing. This is Cyprus. Even though we had a spectacular thunder and hail storm this morning, it’s warm and sunny now. Added to this, we are all working. This is not a public holiday. That doesn’t stop us from sitting down together in the spirit of Thanksgiving, appreciating what we have in life, and enjoying a meal together.

One reason for us all sitting together in the Limassol HQ was to ensure we all knew how thankful we were for each other. Not just for the work we do for SimplyBook.me but also for the people and relationships we share in the office and out of it.

Reaching out to Our colleagues at Thanksgiving.

It’s no secret that we have multiple offices around the globe, and sometimes it can be challenging to ensure we all know how much we are appreciated by our colleagues. HQ might be in Limassol, Cyprus, but that doesn’t mean that every other team member in every other office and remote location isn’t just as important to us.

That’s why we reached out to share the spirit of gratitude and also asked how everyone else practises appreciation and what they are thankful for. It was lovely to discover how many of our colleagues make thanksgiving part of their lives and how they find grace in many simple things.

What do we give thanks for?

Thanksgiving can be highly personal, or we can throw it out to the world and be thankful for the big things in life.

After lunch, we recreated the thanksgiving tradition of expressing what we are thankful for. To allow people some structure and guidance (this is not generally a European tradition), we suggested something personal, professional, and something that we will be extremely grateful for in the future.

“I am grateful for my family (partner and dog included) for being my side and giving me love. My job for allowing me to evolve on a professional and personal level. And my health, which compliments everything else in life.”

Georgia P

Family, Friends, Still alive , My family and i are in safe place (compare to place where i could be), and of course Super job 🙂

Dimka

Family, Friends, Good health and a Great job:)

Rut

So I’m thankful for: My family, home and especially for my little [son] as he brings so much joy to every single day, no matter what happens

For the job, the possibility of working and the team is all that makes me feel a bit safer in the current conditions. And I really believe that we are a great team.

For the ability to walk in the streets(or run through the city) and meet the sunrise, notice the beauty of nature/city, etc., for all the activities that make me feel stronger and give the motivation/inspiration for the willingness to learn different new things,

For the feeling that there are so many interesting and exciting things in the world to get acquainted with, even staying at home

Victoria N

My mom: her unconditional love and support is what kept me sane in darkest hours

My dad: his dedication and hardworking always inspires me to do everything and a little bit more on top

My friends: for being always there for me at my worst and sharing best moments of my life as well

My scars: no matter physical, or metaphorical – they’ve formed a map to guide me through this life

Our heroic Armed Forces and all of those incredible people protecting our land: just for the very chance for me to exist, to speak my language, to know my history and to be myself

Our volunteers, doctors, community service specialists and every single Ukrainian: for unity and sheer will to help, to survive, to protect our common values

My hobbies: for being my personal fortress of solitude when I need a reset, or a shared area of interests when my social battery is charged

Alex R

My partner for always being there and knowing exactly what I need & the right things to say, for being able to have fun and travel together, for making me laugh and smile even when I don’t want to.

My family for supporting me no matter what and loving me unconditionally.

My fur babies for being themselves and making me laugh with the funny stuff they get up to and making me cry from cuteness.

I’m grateful that my family and friends are (mostly) healthy and happy, and grateful to have known and loved the ones who are no longer with me.

Daena S

These were just a few responses we received when I asked what made people feel thankful, even in the worst of times.

Continuous Thanksgiving

While the Thanksgiving holiday is an annual celebration of gratitude and appreciation, we will try to continue this spirit and attitude throughout the year, ensuring that we treat all our colleagues and families with the gratitude they deserve.

We already started with our colleague appreciation for Olena and Mykola, who work tirelessly on the SimplyMeet.me project. We also highlighted the incredible entrepreneurial spirit of Ingvar and Rut on Entrepreneurs Day.

I hope you will keep in touch with our highlights and appreciation of other colleagues who go above and beyond, both in their work and their incredible attitude and positivity.

Working on being thankful all year round! xxx