Perhaps the Tina’s Groove comic strip that appeared in the Dec. 24 edition of The Mountain Press put it all into perspective the best.

In the first panel, Rob, manager of Pepper’s Restaurant, says, “Folks, let us not forget what the holidays are all about ... the holidays are all about spending time with the family.” Then, in the second panel, with the entire restaurant crew listening intently, Rob says, “ ... except for the following people who I’ve scheduled to work on Christmas Day.”

The holiday season, ushered in by Thanksgiving a month and two days ago, ends on Friday as we say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010. Throughout the season, many of us have counted our blessings and reflected upon the many things for which we are thankful — and we were fortunate to spend time with our families.

At this midway point between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, it is appropriate to pause to give thanks to a portion of the populace we make take for granted: the good folks who work on the holidays to keep our lives running as normally as possible, sometimes simply for creature comforts, sometimes in case of emergencies.

Start with our ministers who, of course, deliver inspirational and traditional messages around Christmas, who visit the sick in hospitals and nursing homes and the shut-ins who have been abandoned or ignored by their families. For clerics, working on the holiday is a necessary and important part of the job.

Then, of course, you have the support personnel we couldn’t do without. Nurses and doctors staff the hospitals, paid police, deputies, firemen and paramedics took regular shifts, volunteer firefighters were on call, rangers worked in the national park. And let’s not forget about those who work for towing companies and are on call 24/7. We probably take these people for granted — unless we find ourselves needing their services on a holiday.

Living in a region with a tourism-driven economy, Ober Gatlinburg remained open on Christmas for visitors, as did the Ripley’s attractions and WonderWorks, among others. It is dedicated people such as these who make folks want to come back to Sevier County, where they can expect unmatched hospitality and first-class service.

There were those, too, who on Christmas Day might have needed a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, to fill their gas tanks, especially if they were traveling. There had to be convenience store and drugstore clerks as well as the pharmacists on duty.

If you were one of the legions who decided not to get up early to bake a ham or stuff a bird and fix all the trimmings, and instead decided that dining out made much more sense, don’t forget to be thankful for the chefs who cooked your meals, waiters and waitresses who took your orders and those who bussed your tables.

Yes, most of us relaxed and enjoyed visiting with family and friends on Christmas Day. For so many others, though, it was another day on the job — and a day not spent with loved ones. We all should be appreciative.