Never Enough

Dear Essential Workers,

I'm a 39-year-old man who is in a wheelchair, and I would like to thank you for everything that you are doing this time of turbulence. There are as many of you that fall under that umbrella, as there are flavors of ice cream at Baskin-Robins, but none of you is less important than the other. Much like the rest of the world, you didn't wake up one morning and think. "I want to thrust into the middle of a global pandemic and see thousands of people suffering and dying." There isn't a rationally sane person who wants to see that happen, but here we are. It doesn't seem that it will be going away anytime soon, as much as we all would like to. The rest of us are missing our regular routines of going to our jobs and interacting with our buddies or going out to dinner with our significant other. This pales in comparison to what you wake up to each morning to do for our unknown faces.

Thank you, medical staff, for faithfully doing your jobs to supply medical care if we get sick, risking your own health, and the health of your families to take care of ours. Thank you underpaid, starving college home health aides from individuals who don't need extensive medical care, but need help with daily morning routines so that we can feel comfortable and clean to be able to interact with any situation or person we might need to during the day.

Thank you, efficient production plant employees dedicated to your jobs producing food for us to eat and feed our children. You go to your factories to prepare our food. Then ship it to your partners in life-saving work, the grocery store workers.

Thank you, grocery store workers, for dealing with panic-driven hysterical people seeking high demand items. And who buys more things than is humanly possible to consume.

Thank you, repair and utility workers who are available to answer the call when the need arises to fix or install necessary items.

Thank you to our bus and taxi drivers are always where we need to get somewhere and might not have transportation our own, and not seeking glory for themselves but fulfilling their duties.

Thank you, postal workers, though you might not have the fanciest of uniforms like police, firefighters, or the military. Yet, you still bring us our packages, our communications. Yes, even the bills that we wish would be affected a little more by this virus.

I mentioned the police and military, and we can't forget firefighters and EMTs who are still doing their jobs. Yet, many have taken on extra jobs to help with shortages in other areas. There are still days when no one wants to cook. We thank you, fast-food workers, and restaurant owners who provide us our delicious guilty pleasures.

Thank you, banks, for functioning to keep money coming in and going out, so our economy doesn't completely stall out.

We owe a special thanks to the teachers who continue to teach the young and old even at a distance because they love what they do and their students. I know they are ready to see their faces as much as their students are to be seen.

Thank you, animal friends, who should be considered essential workers for giving us comfort and companionship. And pulling us out of the house to take you for a walk or play with you so we can exercise instead of watching one more episode, since you know we've already watched twenty.

Thank you, parents, for instantly taking on the additional roles of a home schoolteacher, most excellent show person, and referee. As if you didn't already have enough to do as it was.

I wish I had a crystal ball and could give a specific date on when burdens will be eased, but my guess is as good as yours. What I do know is that we are staying sane because you are there day in and day out serving, healing, protecting, and teaching. After this is over, I hope we are a more compassionate and grateful society.

Many thanks,

Andres