During this pandemic, I thank the essential workers which include, but are not limited to, nurses, television operators, delivery drivers, pizza makers, grocery workers, restaurant owners, mail carriers, doctors, teachers; the list is endless.

It is tremendous the acts of kindness I see going to those who are working during the pandemic, such as buying food for nurses, donating masks to hospitals, zooming with teachers, being kind to grocery workers, and much more.

I am myself an essential workers, and do not have the privileged of working from home. Having to constantly make sure I stand six feet from others, do 20 second washing, wipe down where I sit, wear a mask 24/7, and shower just because I feel gross, is more of a burden than it seems. I am lucky to have a company who has been offering nothing but accommodations if appropriate and free food, more generous pay, and kind thank you's. Not every essential worker, however, has those same privileges.

This is why we have to be kind to one another. Thank the cashier and make their jobs easier by wearing masks and obeying the six feet rule in stores. Do not go to the doctor unless you feel it is needed and thank the nurse on the phone who may not be able to give you all of the answers you want. Be nice to the cab driver who, I am sure, is having just as much anxiety as they have to drive stranger to wherever they need to be. Be patient and kind to teaches who had to come up with a whole new curriculum online to accommodate students.

Kindness is key to helping make times during this pandemic as pleasant as possible. We do not know someone's issues or stories going on during this time. We do not know if a cashier is having mental health issues due to being in contact with many shoppers. We do not know if a teacher is struggling to properly teach student the tools they need to succeed online. Nurses have one of the toughest jobs which involves an abundance of contact with patients who have COVID-19.

There are numerous ways to thank an essential worker; write a thank you note, give someone flowers, buy food for them (pizza is a good one), simply say thank you, be kind and patient, offer small gift cards, donate to a cause, and many other things.

Be kind and thank the essential workers.