I don't think I really thought about myself as an essential worker until this moment and

now I realize how much we're part of the glue of the community, but it is exhausting.

This is Death, Sex, and Money from WNYC.

I'm Anna Sale.

In the past few days, we've heard from so many of you who aren't staying home right now,

because your job has been deemed essential.

I am the essential worker that grows your food.

I am a funeral service professional.

My wife and I, we run a little grocery store.

We're working our assets off in the wine world.

I work in defense industry manufacturing.

A lot of folks might not think of bankers as essential workers, but we are.

We also heard from a lot of you who work in healthcare, EMS workers, licensed mental

health counselors, nurses, and we asked all of you essential workers to tell us about

what's on your mind right now and what you'd want in your pandemic toolkit.

I need people to let me know they're thinking about me.

I've been meditating, reading, and making music every day.

What I want in a toolbox is of course enough ventilators, enough ICU beds, enough personal

protective equipment, hell even a vacation after this.

I'm not sure what my support box looks like, but it's big and it's got a lot of moving

parts.

I would like in my healthcare professional toolkit at this time would be a dose of calm

...