By Waylon Bailey.

Yesterday I listened to Dr. Jerome Adams, Surgeon General of the United States. He was on a program answering questions about Covid-19.

He was asked multiple questions about masks, how the virus is spread, and even a question about grocery stores. I don’t remember the specific question about grocery stores, but I definitely remember his answer. When asked what we should do at grocery stores, he answered, “you can say ‘Thank You.’”

He said, ‘say thank you to the delivery people, those stocking the shelves, and those checking us out.”

I couldn’t help but think that should be a basic response for all of life, especially in such difficult times.

Dr. Adams was making a specific response about the people who provide our food, but it needs to be so much larger than that.

Shouldn’t that be our response to most everyone we meet? Aren’t there other jobs that are “essential functions?”

Can you imagine how our world would be if we treated everyone as essential and someone that we couldn’t do without? Isn’t this what Jesus meant when He told us to do to others as we want them to do to us?

Life is hard all the time. It’s especially hard now.

Protect your mental and emotional health by looking out for the needs of others and caring for their health as well.

All around you are people you love and appreciate. Show that appreciation and let them hear your “Thank you.”