You may be able to see it in their eyes, or hear a bit of it in their voices or notice a slight droop in the shoulders. You might even catch one of them at a bad moment as they take a deep breath with their heads down and wipe at their faces.

But one thing you won’t see is them giving up.

We’re talking about our nurses, doctors, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, fire fighters, police officers, deputies, troopers, teachers and any other person on the front lines every day.

What front lines?

The front lines of battle against deadly diseases like COVID-19, West Nile or cancer. The front lines of battle against criminal activity or to keep people safe, to prevent loss of life or property, to educate students, to transport people safely, to keep people fed and to keep people informed.

We know that the people of Brookhaven and Lincoln County want the same things people want everywhere — to be able to live a safe life, to get the services they need and to know that help is there when they need it.

All of the “front line” people in our area are the reason we can do those things and have those reassurances.

Thank you to each of you from the bottom of our hearts. We know we speak for the majority of people when we say you are not forgotten, not ignored, not taken for granted.

And when things get tough for you, thank you for taking another deep breath, holding your head back up high and heading back into the fray.