(I work in a bank. We have an annual mandatory training meeting, and this year it is scheduled on my day off, so I have to drive into work for an hour. Two days before the MANDATORY meeting:)

Coworker #1: “Hey, [My Name], you’re coming to the meeting, right?”

Me: “Yes, of course.”

Coworker #2: *twenty minutes later* “Are you going to come to the meeting on Saturday?”

Me: “Yes, I’m coming.”

Coworker #3: “What is your favorite flavor of cake? I’m thinking of making one for our potluck next week.”

Me: “I like chocolate cake, but you should ask our other coworkers because most of them don’t really care for chocolate.”

Coworker #3: “Okay, thanks, I’ll make chocolate. You are coming to the meeting on Saturday, right?”

Me: *super confused about why I keep getting asked about whether I will come to a mandatory meeting* “Yes.”

(Thirty minutes before the mandatory meeting starts:)

Supervisor: *texts me* “Hey, [My Name], are you going to come to the meeting today?”

Me: *wondering if the mandatory meeting suddenly became optional* “Yes, I am on my way.”

(When I got to the bank, I could see everybody in the lobby staring at me as I walked up. I started to panic, thinking I got the time wrong, and walked in. As soon as I got in the door, everybody started singing “Happy Birthday.” There was a chocolate cake on one of the desks. My birthday was a few days away, but I hadn’t really talked to anyone about it, so I was totally shocked. My coworkers said my face went completely purple, and they were so happy they’d surprised me. Then, we started the meeting. I have awesome coworkers.)

(I work part-time, and in my spare time I do a lot of sewing. A year ago, I made some plushies based on a cute game to display in the shop. This happens on a day that I’m not working.)

Customer: “What are those on the shelf?”

Coworker: “Oh, one of the staff made those; they’re from a game.”

Customer: “Can I see it for a moment?”

(My coworker hands over a plushie.)

Customer: *looks intently at it* “Wow, the stitching is really good on this.” *pauses* “I don’t mean to be rude to you or anything, but if she can make stuff like this, why the f*** is she working here?”

(It certainly made my day when I heard that!)

Technically, I am employed by a temp agency, but I have worked for quite a while at the same office now, in service of a company which just has a very strict policy on taking on official employees, due to the amount of work fluctuating. My team leader, however, is very much in favour of me, and so is her boss. They have both found ways to make me more indispensable, which gives me a more stable income. Unfortunately, this does not always stop the higher management from taking my efforts for granted. Several times, my team leader has tried to convince them to give me an official contract with the company, which has been delayed again and again over time. Neither my team leader nor I have much faith in it happening soon. Since I need the job and have difficulty finding something better, I just swallow it and continue.

Around the holidays, I feel a bit angry because of this, especially since I know that Christmas bonuses are coming. Everyone at the company gets the same small package — usually something edible — but permanent employees get a gift card with that while temps do not. This might sound logical, since some temps only work a few months or weeks in their whole life at the company — while also getting a small present from the temp agency — but with me being at the office for over a year and a half, clearly making far more effort than the majority of the notoriously unmotivated permanent employees at our department, the feeling that management probably will “forget” me makes me quite cross.

On the day that the Christmas bonuses are handed out, my team leader is walking around the department giving packages to everyone, including gift cards to the permanent employees. When she gets to my desk she hands me my box, and then suddenly says in a low voice, “And this.”

She slips me a gift card, with the words, “Not from the company, but from [Her Boss]. You’ve earned it.”

It’s very good to know that your superiors know what you’re worth, especially if you did everything you could to become indispensable — which you will never be for real, of course. People who take your efforts for granted aren’t worth you working for them — people who show their gratitude are.

Christmas bonuses and the like are not about the material reward: it’s about showing that you genuinely care about the efforts of your employees. Many suits will never understand how to show that.

(I am AFAB — assigned female at birth — and go by she/they pronouns. I am spending the day with a genderfluid AFAB friend. We’re on a popular shopping street in Brisbane and are waiting for the lights to change before crossing to the bus station. On the other side of the street, a man is standing on a literal soapbox, quoting Bible verses about sin and how everyone around him will be condemned to Hell.)

Friend: “Gimme your hand.”

(We cross the street hand in hand, and the man grows louder as he sees us pass by.)

Friend: “Hang on.”

(They stopped on the sidewalk and kissed me on the cheek, right in front of the man. Someone actually audibly gasped, and another person tried to hand them a Jesus pamphlet. We walked the rest of the way to the bus hand in hand.)

(Being something of a geek and introvert, I end up being bullied in middle school. It is mostly trash talk and little pranks, nothing criminal, but enough of it can build up to a lot of stress. I am miserable for most of my time there. But all things come to an end and high school is a breath of fresh air. I am still a geek and introvert, but with a wider range of classes and clubs I almost never see my bullies anymore and they are too busy to seek me out. Fast forward to the last few months of high school.)

Old Bully: “Hey, [My Name], hold up!”

Me: *cautious* “What’s up?”

Old Bully: “Look, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for being such a s*** to you back at [Middle School]. You didn’t deserve it. So, I’m sorry.”

Me: *stunned* “Thanks.”

(Looking back at that moment, everything that happened in middle school seemed so much smaller. I don’t know if the bully had been going through some sort of counselling or if he was just feeling remorseful on his own, but I really did appreciate that.)