“Count your blessings.”

We heard the phrase a lot when we were kids. It had different meanings. Should tragedy befall somebody else: “Count your blessings that wasn’t you.” When you were in pain: “Count your blessings, things could be worse.” If it was about something you wanted but could not have: “Count your blessings for what you do have. There are others who have less.”

It is hard not to get beaten down by the steady drumbeat of bad news. Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, cases are surging. We have record drought and supersized wildfires across America’s western states. Distraught climate experts are seeing their dire warnings come true even faster than predicted. Chaos in Afghanistan, humanitarian crisis in earthquake-ravaged Haiti and a U.S. that is increasingly hamstrung by the growing divide between its people.

What an opportune time to look for blessings in our lives.

We are thankful for our health care workers, especially those on the front lines at the hospital. Working long, grueling shifts, these people put their safety on the line to care for others. The physical and emotional toll of dealing with life and death hour after hour, day after day, is something the rest of us cannot even begin to comprehend.

We count the 500 out-of-state workers soon to be deployed to Hawaii hospitals as blessings. Maui Memorial Medical Center is scheduled to add 40 nurses. The added manpower should help relieve some of the stress and workload currently being endured.

We are thankful for those who are back at school making in-person learning possible. They too put their health at risk. Let’s hope they can continue to safely keep classrooms open. Reports of Maui teachers, young students and entire classes being ordered into self-isolation say a return to distance learning is possible, if not probable.

We are thankful for the respite the vaccines bought us. We had live events and entertainment. Masks came off outdoors. Smiles shined once again.

We count our blessings for the people who continue to properly wear their masks in stores and public areas, to those who put their reservations aside and got their jabs for the good of themselves and the community.

We are thankful for the rebound of our island economy. Last year’s deserted beaches and empty roads may have been utopia, but somebody must pay the bills. Our visitors deal with longer lines, fewer choices and higher prices. Let’s hope our state can learn to better manage tourism and its impacts without killing the golden goose.

We are thankful to live in beautiful Hawaii where the aloha spirit is alive and well.

* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.