Not the way I wanted the new year to begin

Once again, I didn't listen to the "little voice in my head", which told me to prepare individual presents for my workmates. I didn't do this, as I think making it individual is too personal, and I do this only for friends and family.

My last night at work before Christmas, was the 17 December. I like the team I'm working with, so same as the year before, I prepared a "thank you present" this time a crate of 5 kg clementine and about 1.5 kg small chocolates for the whole team. I bought all this with my own money.

The muslim guy working the evening shift said he doesn't eat sweets, but took a few clementine before leaving, that was ok. I told him that the present was for everyone. On the morning of 18/12, before going home, I presented the present to the morning staff... people who I've been working with for almost 2 years. They were happy and thanked me.

I returned to work on the 26, and everything was gone, even the presents we got from the families of the people we take care of. Last year, there was still some available, even until the new year.

On Monday night, first night in the new year, one of my workmates for almost 2 years, who is also one of the women who received the Xmas gift, told me that on the morning of the 19/12, there was nothing left of my present to them, but 2 others had had their boxes filled with clementines.

Tuesday morning, before leaving work, I asked another long time workmate, if she had gotten anything from the present, she replied "no", but 2 others were eating lots of clementines on the days after I had left the present.

This pi$$ed me off, made me upset and very, very angry, to the point that, not even listening to a book on the way home (I usually do this to and from work) calmed me down. I had breakfast, showered, went to bed, but couldn't sleep, I was crying, I kept thinking of what those 2 young muslim men had done. As they were working yesterday afternoon, I felt like instead of sleeping, I'd go back to work and confront about their behaviour.

Not wanting to cause problems, as I know I would have done, being as angry as I was (If i cry when I'm angry, it means I've reached, or am almost to "the point of no return"). I called and talked to one of my bosses, who calmed me down and I was able to sleep, but she said when I talk to the 2 men, to do it in a calm way, and say it wasn't nice of them, to do what they had done.

Some days before Xmas, I was talking to those 2 men and they said they don't celebrate Xmas, as it isn't part of their religion or culture.

My point with this blog is, why the hell did they eat and or even take home all of what I had left as a Xmas present for everyone...9 including then both. I've been working with the team for almost 2 years, 1 of those men started working with us 4, the other 2 months ago, which is also the same amount if time they've been working in the nursing home.... You don't celebrate Xmas, but your should still have something called a conscience, and respect for others and their cultures.

I'm not sure if I'll see them the 2 nights I'm working next week, but 1 thing is for sure, even if I'm off duty when they're working, I'm going to go to work and have a serious conversation with them about this. Not only that, I'l tell then that before their ramadan begins, they have to buy a big cake for the team. I'm not going to threaten them, just say it in a nice friendly way, whilst hiding the "poison" behind my smiles.