Under normal circumstances, it would be safe to say that these are very uncertain times in the life of our country. But these are not normal circumstances. It’s safe to say that these are very uncertain times in the life of our planet.

So I thought I’d take some time to say thank you to some of the people who are out there trying to make a difference during this global pandemic.

Thank you to everyone in the medical profession who are continually putting themselves in harm’s way to treat the everyday sick and injured while trying to keep up with exponentially increasing numbers of those infected with COVID-19. Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes they wear scrubs.

Thank you to grocery store employees who are working around the clock to keep shelves stocked and heavily trafficked stores disinfected. Having an employee designated to specifically spend their shift wiping down every grocery cart that comes back into the store does so much for everyone’s peace of mind. So does being able to find that last pack of toilet paper.

Thank you to the men and women who drive tractor-trailers up and down the highways, delivering massive shipments of necessary items to stores across the country. I’m the first to admit that my road rage usually kicks in when I find myself sharing the road with trucks that I think are moving too fast or too slow (there is no in between), but I appreciate your willingness to keep on truckin’. Stay safe out there.

Thank you to the teachers and school administrators out there who are still busting their butts to make sure our kids are able to get an education, even though they’re homebound for the rest of the school year. Parents who aren’t used to homeschooling are getting a taste of what you go through every single day. Maybe when all of this is over, you’ll all finally get the raises you deserve.

Thank you to the individuals everywhere who are taking this thing seriously. The ones who are working from home. The ones who are self-quarantining. The ones who are limiting their contact with the outside world in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. Because not all of us can work from home. While we can all take certain precautions in an effort to avoid infection, a quarantine isn’t an option at this point. You are making it possible for others to keep going out there to provide services that continue to be necessary.

*To those who are not taking this disease seriously, please consider the consequences that your actions can have. From what I’ve seen, most of you are young and you don’t have to worry about any pre-existing conditions. I remember what it was like to be in my 20s. I was invincible. It’s easy to feel immortal when you’ve got your entire adult life in front of you. Social distancing and self-quarantine is not something you do for yourself. It isn’t to keep you safe. It isn’t necessarily to keep you healthy. It’s to limit the risk of you exposing others who are more at risk to this devastating virus.

Did I leave anyone important out of my thank you notes? Who would you like to thank during the Great Pandemic of 2020? Let them know down in the comments!

Feature Photo by Courtney Hedger on Unsplash