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With all the craziness going on, let’s not forget that today is World Health Day. This year is especially dedicated to nurses and midwives. There’s no greater time to thank these healthcare providers for the work they do.
Nurses and midwives are among the most essential members of our workforce. Every day they selflessly return to their jobs, caring for our community’s most vulnerable. Healthcare workers are among the hardest hit, both physically and emotionally. They provide invaluable services in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and beyond. Their jobs are hard on an average day. Now, they are very literally lifesavers.
Celebrating All of Our Frontline Workers
Healthcare staff are the backbone of our community right now, so let’s take this day to celebrate them. Although World Health Day 2020 is dedicated to nurses and midwives, let’s extend our gratitude to all our frontline workers: doctors, PSWs, pharmacists, and specialists who face every day with incredible strength.
And let’s not forget our other essential workers; law enforcement officers, grocery store clerks, farmers, truckers, sanitation workers, and industrial manufacturers. The list goes on and on. They also deserve our gratitude for making sure that the world doesn’t stop spinning, even while our daily lives grind to a halt.
There is Good All Around Us
As the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, spreads across the world like wildfire, we are forced to change the way we live our daily lives. But despite that, let’s take a moment to be grateful.
Only a month ago, our lives were unimaginably different than they are now. Yes, adapting to this unprecedented global health concern is difficult and stressful. And yes, COVID-19 is dangerous, frightening, and uncertain. But we must also realize that this virus has brought out some of the best parts of humanity.
Neighbors are reaching out to neighbors. Communities are banding together to support their most vulnerable. Businesses are finding new and innovative ways to continue supplying goods and services. Art and culture are booming, although not in the ways anyone would have expected.
In fact, many folks seem more social now than they have been in ages. We are reaching out to our loved ones by phone, by text, and by video chat. Friends are visiting each other and talking, meters apart, through cracked open windows.
Do What You Should Do, Ask What You Can Do
We all must do our part. It’s essential that you know your facts and stay informed. But don’t feel that you must watch the news 24/7 and keep abreast of every update. Being overstimulated can cause fear and anxiety, and right now, we all need to remain calm, cautious, and collected.
Do something that brings you peace. Give back to your community. Cherish those around you. Find strength in unity. Remember that while things may seem scary and uncertain, this too shall pass. Every day we’re finding ways to show love to ourselves and each other.
So, carry on with kindness. We’re all in this together. Together, we’ll get through this.