Don’t forget to show your appreciation

Supermarkets and drug stores are among the few places we can still visit and their staff deserve our applause for doing a great job.

Depending on the time of day you make your visit there are staff packing shelves but they often go beyond that. Shelves are being sanitized to keep things clean.

Staff appear to be going out of their way to be friendly and kind in difficult circumstances. Sometimes they have to remind people to practise social distancing and they have done so with tact and grace.

Unlike front line health care workers, grocery and drug store staff had no idea they would ever be working during a pandemic like this. That makes them truly remarkable for sticking with it.

The next time you see staff in these stores tell them how grateful you are that they are making it possible for us to still shop there.

Now let’s talk about healthcare workers.

Sometimes we forget that many of them are also scared of what they are facing or are about to face – the unknown.

Some have shared what they believe the statistics are for nurses and doctors and those caring for seniors in long-term-care facilities. They are frightening and for those who have underlying health conditions themselves, there are other concerns.

Most of us think nothing of calling our family doctor for an appointment or visiting the emergency department when we have a crisis. Now is the time to remember them all including lab workers, paramedics and those in seniors residences.

Telling them how much they are appreciated is now more important than ever.

Tonight at 6 p.m. stand outside your front door or on your balcony and clap your hands to applaud them. Take a photo or video and share these on social media so that they know how grateful we are.

Gillian Slade is a News reporter. To comment on this and other editorials, go to www.medicinehatnews.com/ opinions, email her at gslade@medicinehatnews.com or call her at 403-528-8635.