Heroes. Hidden in plain sight

Many of us are very fortunate that we can work remotely. This allows us to reduce risks of COVID-19 and protect our families and others. Meanwhile, others cannot work remotely because they are deemed “essential workers”. They are needed to support healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and support the needs of communities. These dedicated people are on the front lines of this crisis, at great personal risk during this extraordinary moment in time. 

FDR once said; “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” It seems we are all touched, in one way or another, by this new situation. Many of us watch close friends and family leave for their normal jobs and quietly wonder if they will be safe. This feels anything but normal. “Essential workers” are needed to ensure our country keeps going, but in more humble way they show up because they must earn a living to take care of their families. It’s often a daunting decision. Some, like a friend who works in the food industry, show up every day despite a suppressed immune system. The toughest welder in a steel mill worries he might infect his children. First responders, doctors, and so many others, drink their coffee and head to work knowing that they are rolling the dice against an invisible and ruthless foe.  And yet, they still show up, they work hard, they face their fears and keep going.

This is the definition of courage and we want to take a moment to acknowledge and to say thank you to our essential Onex employees, our customers and suppliers, the tired cashier or bank teller homeschooling at night, the construction crew down the street, the valiant nurse, the police and firefighters, EMS, the young minimum wage employee stocking our shelves and many more. You are far more than just “essential workers,” you are our families, our friends and co-workers. Heroes, hidden in plain sight.