By Sidney Gardiner

As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Covid 19 pandemic, one can’t help but reflect
on the challenges, struggles, and heartache that affected most of us on some level. The
lockdown and the events that followed changed the paradigm of our lives. We are now living a
new norm.

We at Atlantic Home FL would like to pay tribute to those lost to Covid and recognize the
heroes that kept us safe while putting their own lives at risk.

TO ALL OF YOU… first responders, doctors, nurses, fire fighters, military, teachers… all of
you… WE THANK YOU. You accepted the “Call To Action” without hesitation, with a selfless
heart and willingness to serve. While many souls were lost, many were saved because of you.
You never really know the true impact you may have had on someone and also those around
you. You may never know how much your kindness turned someone’s fear to calm. Your hand
might have been the last one they held before they died. It was you that closed their eyes and
said a silent prayer. You will never know how much someone needed that hug or comforting
talk as you shared tears. But you know. You know that your heart touched others. So accept
our humble thank you and bless you for all that you do.

Is it possible to move past the grief and sadness and find meaning and calm in the deaths of
those who passed before their time?

I believe the answer is Yes. Good can always come out of adversity if we try to find it.
We need to put the last two years behind us and move forward with hope and optimism for a
better, safer tomorrow. Your “mess” can be your “message.” What did you learn from the
quarantine that changed your perspective on something? One day you may tell your story how
you survived Covid and overcame tough times. And perhaps, just perhaps, your message might
be someone’s survival guide.