Kudos Essential Workers

KUDOS ESSENTIAL WORKERS

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Kudos to the many essential workers who got us through this past year; 2020 was indeed a record year. It was surreal. It was monumental, and not in the way we wished. It was a uniquely stressful year for nearly every human on this planet. It was a tragic year in so many ways, yet here we are, like a phoenix slowly but surely rising from the ashes.

Real Heroes Helping Our Community

So, who do we have to thank for helping us survive this tornado of a year? Well, the list is long, but how could we have done it without our essential workers? In my opinion, we couldn’t have. When times were the scariest, they were there. A wide variety of essential workers made weathering the Coronavirus storm possible, from grocery workers to truckers, teachers, police officers, firefighters, pastors, cal line volunteers, IT professionals keeping our signals running strong, and many more.

The stress, the worry, the toll was intense, yet they did it. "

Our gratitude is indescribable. During this pandemic, many of us found comfort in the extra time we were able to spend with our families, while many essential workers were doing just the opposite. The medical community suited up and went to work on the front line and faced the challenge of distancing themselves from their friends and families to come to work and help our families. They were dealing with long hours, constant protocol changes, and not enough protective gear. The stress, the worry, the toll was intense, yet they did it. Not only did they do their jobs, but since patient visitors were not allowed, many stepped up their game in the role of comforter, even at a time when they too were scared.

One local doctor, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, affectionately referred to as Dr. Bobby by locals, worked with his son, designing and creating masks with 3-D printers. They had multiple printers going and collaborated with others, continuously working on new designs for more effective and comfortable masks. As a worried dad of an

Emergency Room trauma nurse, my husband personally picked up one of these masks from Dr. Bobby’s home to drive to Port Huron to give to his daughter. Dr. Bobby GAVE that mask to us and so many others because he cared and wanted to help. 2020 is a part of our story, a story that our future children and children will read about in history books. They may think we were exaggerating when they hear that we weren’t able to leave our homes unless it was absolutely essential; unfortunately, it wasn’t.

When we delivered that mask to my stepdaughter, I can remember worrying about whether or not it would be deemed "essential" if my husband was pulled over. Visitors in hospitals were even banned from visiting loved ones during the last precious days of their lives. Schools were shut down, and nearly a year later, many classrooms still aren’t face to face. Masks were a must; hugs were a no, and my oh my, where did all the toilet paper go? I think it’s safe to say most of us felt like we were living in the Twilight Zone in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been surreal, and the fallout severe, but, back to that phoenix I mentioned at the beginning of this article, our essential workers got us through, and now we begin to rise from the ashes. Essential workers, you are some of our biggest blessings of this awful past year. So many of us found silver linings in the storm. We found more quality time with family, much needed resets on our schedules and priorities, and a stronger appreciation for our cozy homes. Some found ways to work remotely and will happily continue that to allow a better work-life balance.

I know many of us found a fie an appreciation for YOU. Hope is on the horizon, my friends. Let’s keep working, appreciating, and finding ways to spread appreciation and kindness to all. We will get through this; the forever optimist in me believes that the best is yet to come with all my heart. A big, heartfelt KUDOS to all the essential workers who shared hope, comfort, and offered support to our community. You are the true, real-life heroes.

KUDOS TO ALL THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS

BY KYLIE GATES-BARRETT

KUDOS MAGAZINE 7.1