22/03/2020
Not all on the front line signed up to be there.
The front line consists of much more than doctors and nurses. Many of us deemed essential to stand against this pandemic never thought we would find ourselves here.
We’re social workers and case managers who keep people moving through the system so hospital beds are open for those who need them. We’re environmental services staff keeping hospitals and other facilities clean. We’re food service workers keeping staff and patients fed during this crisis. We’re overworked healthcare providers spending time away from our families to try to keep others safe. We’re grocery store workers and delivery drivers making sure the community at large remains fed. We’re city utility workers making sure people’s homes have power and water so they can hunker down or work from home. We’re childcare workers making sure that those who have to go into work, can. We’re people with our own health issues who must show up, some at a high risk ourselves.
Many of us did not have a choice in this fight, we were simply expected to show up. We’re just human beings with families that we are concerned about— with children, parents, pregnant wives, and elderly and vulnerable people in our own homes— praying we don’t get this disease and spread it to the ones we love for fear they won't bounce back. We feel unprepared, scared, and like we don’t have a voice.
But we continue to show up. Afraid, cautious, and resigned to the fight. We do this for you— our community. None of us asked for this. So while some of the other unsung heroes are figuring out how to maintain sanity at home balancing kids and newfound remote work, or even figuring out how to make ends meet without a job, we’ll also continue to figure out how to show up.
This is not a time for blame, comparison, or competing about who has it worse. This is just hard for us all. But know, not all of us wish to be on the frontline. So thank your friend or neighbor who has no choice but to fight. We’re scared. But we’re here. And we’re in this together.
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