Valentine’s Day is often framed as a celebration of romantic love—but at its core, it’s about appreciation. It’s about pausing long enough to say thank you to the people who show up, who care deeply, and who make our lives better simply by doing what they do every day.
Today, we want to send our Valentine to public employees.
Because where would we be without them?
This morning, before many of us had even poured our first cup of coffee, our trash and recycling were already picked up. The streets were safer and cleaner because someone showed up early, in all kinds of weather, to make sure our communities keep moving.
As we go about our days, sirens echo in the distance—often unsettling, always urgent. They are the sound of public servants answering a call for help, running toward danger when others are told to run away. Firefighters, EMTs, police officers, and first responders put themselves on the line, not knowing what they’ll face, only knowing that someone in their community needs their help.
In classrooms across the country, teachers are greeting students with patience, encouragement, and compassion—sometimes being the one stable, loving presence a child has that day. They teach far more than math or reading. They teach confidence, curiosity, and care.
In hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities, nurses and medical caregivers hold hands, offer reassurance, and carry the emotional weight of others—often without recognition. They show up during our most vulnerable moments, providing comfort, dignity, and healing when we need it most.
Public health officials monitor our communities to keep us safe. They provide resources and research that we take for granted, going about our daily lives with the confidence that someone is looking out for us.
Public employees are the quiet backbone of our communities. They don’t always make headlines. Their work isn’t flashy. But it is constant, essential, and deeply human.
They are the ones who plow our roads after a storm, keep our water safe to drink, maintain our parks, care for our loved ones, and keep our communities running—day in and day out. They show up even when it’s hard, even when it’s thankless, even when no one is watching.
And too often, they’re asked to do all of this without the security, respect, or support they deserve.
This Valentine’s Day, we want to say what doesn’t get said enough:
We see you.
We appreciate you.
We are grateful for you.
Love isn’t just roses and cards—it’s service, sacrifice, and commitment to something bigger than yourself. Public employees embody that kind of love every single day.
So today, and every day, we stand with the people who make our communities stronger, safer, and more compassionate. You are valued. You are essential. And you are deeply loved.
Happy Valentine’s Day—to the public employees who make our lives possible.
