The whole idea of anyone not being essential has kept us riled up for weeks now.

Just can’t seem to let it go, right? That little brat in the movie “Frozen” screaming “let it go” over and over hasn’t ever been told she wasn’t essential. Neither were her friends or family or even her snowman. We may have the opportunity to vote for the essential snowman someday since he wasn’t smart enough to know he would melt in the sun.

But if some of us are non-essential, how can we decide who is most essential? Think about people around you this past week and see who was most essential to you. Family will be at or near the top of everyone’s list, but where does your mind go next?

One person that comes to mind for us would be the public spokesperson for the hospital. Jana Panther, director of public relations, has been the Butler Health System’s contact to the world.

Just as President Trump has his Dr. Fauci, Butler County has Jana Panther to keep us informed. We aren’t sure she has had a day off in the past month because every day, Sunday through Saturday, she sends us the update for Butler County way before the state department of health posts the numbers. That allows us to keep readers across the county informed and calm no matter what the goofy people on television are saying. She hasn’t changed her method of reporting numbers even once although the state did it again yesterday. We appreciate the consistency, reliability and professional way she does her essential job.

Another person operating far behind the scenes is a woman named Lisa. She wouldn’t really be a person to want to be recognized and she isn’t high-profile so we will just say Lisa. Lisa works at Camp Lutherlyn. She runs the kitchen. Any other time she would be swamped with work and have trouble finding time for even a game of trivia. The virus has shut down business at the camp. So she busies herself with making the kitchen at Lutherlyn the cleanest it has ever been and cooking a Thursday night meal for 110 people in Butler who might otherwise go hungry. That, our friends, is essential.

Most of the area’s houses of worship have moved to some variety of on-line worship services. All we have to do is use our smart phone, our laptop or IPad and then sit back and watch. But somehow someone is being essential and making it happen at each church. At Trinity Lutheran there are several key people, but one is certainly Jessica. Jessica is the organizer of the service. She is the organist or piano player. She is the one who adds the beauty of music to the services we get to enjoy. It’s more like her hobby than her second job, but she is most essential for the role she performs for her church. She doesn’t hesitate and worry about whether the risk is worth taking when she chooses to go out and meet with others to put the next service together and make it available so others can worship. Yes, that makes her essential.

Much has been said and written about the frontline workers facing the pandemic at its most dangerous locations, including hospitals and nursing homes. Another group that needs to be mentioned for the role they serve are the home healthcare professionals. Toni has a group of employees that she coordinates to provide services for the sick, the aging, the recuperating and the injured of our neighborhoods. Sometimes the service is focused on cleaning or cooking or companionship. They do it all. And they do it well. Often, they are in the middle of family turmoil as families are deciding how to best care of their loved ones. Sometimes they face irrational behavior from the patients or the others in the house. But this is a job that so many count on every day. It doesn’t always have a happy ending, and yet the workers have to continue providing this special care for others. That, folks, is essential. No doubt about it, the positions they fill are vital to the family and to the patient. To us, that means essential.

That doesn’t seem anywhere close to a complete list and it wasn’t meant to be. But it is an essential list for today’s times. Be thankful for everyone and try to see how essential each and every person you come in contact with is for you.