The meaning and significance of Memorial Day may be lost behind beach blankets, bar-b-ques and baseball (in more normal times). But it is imperative that we set aside a day to stop and think about all of the men and women who sacrificed their lives so that we can live the unique life of freedom afforded to Americans. As well as remembering all of their families and loved ones who were equally affected by the sacrifice (a lifetime of remembrance).
During the time surrounding this particular Memorial Day, one steeped in the aura of Covid-19, we hear a lot about "front-line" heroes who are also making life-affecting sacrifices for the sake of the health and well-being of others. The comparisons take a bit of poetic license, but the value and valor of their efforts all deserve our acknowledgement. First-responders whose triage encounters confront the opening salvo of this barrage. Doctors struggling to meet the diagnostic and treatment challenges of so many patients. Nurses working long hours across multiple shifts to treat all in need. Health care providers from myriad medical disciplines all too often serving as the only family a patient has as they encounter their final hours - in isolation and fear. Researchers racing against the clock to uncover any kind of effective medicine, or the much sought after vaccine. And, as is the case in so many battles against all kinds of enemies (political or medical), there exists a corps of unsung heroes who go about their business supporting the "troops" - inches away from the glory but not removed from the fighting or the danger that lurks all around them.
No enemy is conquered by one 'soldier' and no conquest is carried out by a single combatant. So let's take a moment to not only recall and acknowledge the obvious 'heroes' that we see around us who are waging this war, but those behind the scenes who quietly and faithfully return to the front-lines each day to maintain the momentum of the monumental machine of medicine moving forward. Keeping the supplies flowing, the troops fed, the lights on, and the figurative floors clean. None of this succeeds without everyone pitching in; contributing beyond their strengths, their stature and their status.
On this Memorial Day - as on every day - we thank you.
