Most countries and some organisations have a tradition of naming their persons of the year at this time. These are often public figures perceived as protagonists in making the world a better place.

Time magazine, for instance, nominated US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as their persons of the year. This award was in the eyes of many the right choice as we look forward to a new era of democratic alliance.

The Queen usually follows her prime minister’s advice in awarding honorary titles to some very worthy people and a few cronies whose only claim to respectability is their donations to the political party in power.

Malta has its own honours list, with many well-deserving awards and some not so deserving.

This year the world has had more than its fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly. We have seen some bad politicians behaving atrociously. President Donald Trump is resorting to all possible means, fair or foul, in a delusional attempt stay in power despite losing the US election. Nefarious were the attempts by some world leaders to repress their political opponents; some, such as Vladimir Putin, even accused of trying to assassinate them.

We have also had the ugly revelations of what went on in the corridors of power in our own country in the last few years, where a few businesspeople captured the state by their corrupt practices.

But the extraordinary medical and economic events of this year have also revealed the enormous number of good people in our communities.

These people never get a medal pinned to their chest by the country’s head of state. They seldom get acknowledged for their generosity by the media. But they are the real role models who strengthen our faith in the future of our society.

Thousands of older people suffered in silence and isolation as they tried to follow the medical advice of experts who warned about the risks of the pandemic on the vulnerable.

Unfortunately, some lost their lives without even the comfort of having their dear ones next to them at their death bed. The dignity of those who did not make it was often devalued in being defined by their “underlying medical condition”. Times of Malta has tried to restore some of that dignity with its tribute yesterday to some of the otherwise faceless victims of COVID-19.

Unsung heroes were also those many parents who have had to cope with disruption to their children’s schooling while continuing to work to put food on the table. The extended family is a luxury that is not available to everyone.

Of course, our frontline medical and healthcare workers are the protagonists of generosity. They often have to put up with poor working conditions. But we expect them to risk their lives for the sake of others. The least we can do is not to take them for granted anymore and insist they have the working conditions they deserve.

Then there were those generous souls who kept an eye on their vulnerable neighbours. Many offered some company or volunteered to do their shopping. These small acts do not tend to make headlines but they define us as a caring society.

Striking a balance between our people’s medical, psychological and economic wellbeing in these difficult times is not easy. Undoubtedly, our unsung heroes are as important in this crisis, and in the lives of many individuals, as the political and medical decision-makers.