There is a wonderful prayer in the service of Compline. Eternal God, the hours both of day and night are yours, and to you the darkness is no threat. Be present we pray, with those who labor in these hours of night, especially those who watch and work on behalf of others. Grant them diligence in their watching, faithfulness in their service, courage in danger, and competence in emergencies. Help them to meet the needs of others with confidence and compassion through Jesus Christ our Lord amen.”

In the these interesting times it is important to remember all those who care for and treat others.  Those who protect us often don’t have the choice to stay home and self quarantine etc.  Then I saw this on Facebook –

Not to take away from medical and law enforcement folks, but there is another group of people that need to go to work and are often overlooked- Direct Support Professionals. These are the people that care for the Developmentally Disabled Population. They are Essential employees. Many of the DD population live in group homes/ ICF’s/ campuses and require 24 hour supervision. Bad weather? They go to work. Flu season? They’re at work. National/ State of Emergency? And Overtime, sometimes not just an 8 hr shift. Yup – they’re at work. They cook, clean, pass medications, provide activities and care and support the individuals they work for and some of these individuals can behave in a violent manner and yet they return day after day.