Mothers are the ultimate ‘essential workers’

This story was originally published on August 13, 2020.

Essential workers are everywhere.

They are the everyday heroes who make the rest of our lives possible. During COVID-19, they are bringing us groceries via Instacart, setting up schools for socially-distanced learning and making sure our Amazon packages get delivered. They are childcare workers, doctors, postal workers and garbage men. They are often black and brown people, frequently underpaid and underappreciated. Essential workers do the invisible job, the jobs we take for granted. The jobs that we can’t live without. They are utterly essential, but over unseen.

But this pandemic has pushed us to see how much of it they actually do.

Essential workers are everywhere.
But essential workers often feel invisible.

Essential workers are frequently underpaid and overworked.
But essential workers make prosperity possible.

Essential workers do their jobs anytime and anywhere they’re needed.
But essential workers are often needed at 3 am, holidays and long after burnout has set in.

Essential workers instinctively put other peoples’ needs before their own.
But essential workers also need their wellbeing to be considered equally important.

Essential workers do critical tasks that help human beings to thrive.
But essential workers often have no support themselves from society at large.

Essential workers are taken for granted.
But essential workers fill in the gaps that nobody else can fill.

Essential workers are the heartbeat of their hometowns.
But essential workers often feel that their lives don’t matter.

Essential workers do critical tasks that help human beings to thrive.
But essential workers often have no support themselves from society at large.

Essential workers go to bed at night knowing that their work matters.
But those of us who rest as a result of their labor must hold them up as heroes.

Essential workers do it all with very little sleep.
But with the demands of their jobs, they need deep, quality, protected rest more than anymore.

Essential workers make incredible sacrifices that matter to the people they care for.
But essential workers shouldn’t have to be martyrs.

Essential workers bravely face scary situations.
But they shouldn’t have to face those terrifying moments alone.

Essential workers want structural changes at all levels of society—cultural changes governmental policies, corporate structures, to make sure everyone, including them, can thrive.
But they’re often too busy doing essential work, so we need to advocate for them.

Essential workers have been taken advantage of for way too long.
So essential workers, we see you, we thank you, and we’ve got you.

Mothers are the ultimate essential workers.

Mothers are everywhere.
But mothers often feel invisible.

Mothers are frequently underpaid and overworked.
But mothers make prosperity possible.

Mothers do their jobs anytime and anywhere they’re needed.
But mothers are often needed at 3 am, holidays and long after burnout has set in.

Mothers instinctively put other peoples’ needs before their own.
But mothers also need their wellbeing to be considered equally important.

Mothers do critical tasks that help human beings to thrive.
But mothers often have no support themselves from society at large.

Mothers are taken for granted.
But mothers fill in the gaps that nobody else can fill.

Mothers are the heartbeat of their hometowns.
But mothers often feel like their lives don’t matter.

Mothers do critical tasks that help human beings to thrive.
But mothers often have no support from society at large.

Mothers go to bed at night knowing that their work matters.
But those of us who rest as a result of their labor must hold them up as heroes.

Mothers do it all with very little sleep.
But with the demands of their jobs, they need deep, quality, protected rest more than anymore.

Mothers make incredible sacrifices that matter to the people they care for.
But Mothers shouldn’t have to be martyrs.

Mothers bravely face scary situations.
But they shouldn’t have to face those terrifying moments alone.

Mothers want structural changes at all levels of society—cultural changes governmental policies, corporate structures—to make sure everyone, including them, can thrive.
But they’re often too busy doing essential work, so we need to advocate for them.

Mothers have been taken advantage of for way too long.
So mothers, we see you, we thank you, and we’ve got you.

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