Unsung heroes

First responders are important, but they only get the ball rolling.  It takes a while to get through tough places and back on the road after a crisis.

People flock to the forefront with cards and flowers and good wishes, but shortly thereafter the cards are packed away, the flowers wilt and the wishes become echoes in the wind.  They were only band aids used to get past the initial shock.

The real pain sets in later when the empty place at dinner becomes the center of the table, or holiday pictures are woefully incomplete.  The world becomes a string of potholes just waiting to swallow up unsuspecting survivors.

And that is when the unsung heroes step up.  Silently listening.  Quietly standing in, knowing they are only place holders until the holes begin to heal.  Ready to do the little things, the hard things, the unnoticed, but absolutely essential things that make life bearable and worth living.

Steadfast and sure, these are the ones who stay long after the music stops and everyone else goes home.