As most of us are at home celebrating this Christmas Day, many of our friends, neighbors and perhaps family members will be at work. They sacrifice time with loved ones so that our day can be safe, warm and carefree.

This Christmas there are many people who have done just that for months on end. Some are fatigued terribly, and not just physically. The strain of mustering the courage day by day to face a COVID-19 world is exhausting.

They are health care professionals who have risked contracting the disease themselves. They are first responders such as law enforcement personnel, firefighters and ambulance crews who face danger. They are store clerks praying the next customer will be wearing a face mask. They are utility crews who keep our homes safe and comfortable. They are teachers who, when they can, delight in seeing our children even though some may be carrying the virus. They are ministers who come to us in our time of need.

They are men and women in hundreds of truly essential jobs who have shown both courage and dedication. We owe them more than most of us can ever know.

But we know enough to be genuinely grateful — and to wish them an especially merry Christmas.

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