I feel I must start this post by giving a huge thank you shout-out to anybody that works in retail, thus working weekends. Thank you. Your job is difficult and under-appreciated by the general population. Doug did this work for 16 years, and so it was simply a way of life for us these past 11 years of marriage and 5 1/2 years of raising children; weekends did not mean to us what they mean to most, we missed out on a lot of events and gatherings as a family, we had to constantly explain why he couldn't just take time off, we weren't able to attend church together, the list goes on and on. Weekends, that timeframe of Friday evening thru Sunday evening, was to us the same as a Monday thru Wednesday; a work schedule dictated what we could or could not participate in together. I often was at weekend events alone, or in more recent years alone with my children.
But no more...we now know the simple bliss of the weekend, and it is sweet!! Lazy mornings, time spent together reading, watching a movie, doing projects outside. Saturday Market, the boys getting to go to truck-pulls and car shows, attending church as a family, making and eating meals together, the list goes on and on with the simple things we have enjoyed over the past few weekends that we've had as a "normal" family! It is amazing how sweet the things that most take for granted can be when you haven't experienced them regularly in the past. I love the freedom that I feel thinking of our kids being able to be in sports because dad isn't working weekends, of our family being able to say "yes" to more events, of Doug not having to miss out on so many family parties, dinners, gatherings, and of Sunday evening being one of preparing for the upcoming work/school week together, rather than dad being out of it because he was at work early and needs to go to bed early to get up early again Monday morning.
Retail work is important; in fact it is vital in our society, but I would venture to say that a majority of those who have never worked in it do not have the understanding of the impact that the hours have on those who are working it. In order for you to get your groceries on the weekend, to eat a meal out, to put fuel in your vehicle, to buy clothes, on and on the list goes...in order for that to be possible, people must be working at those stores, those restaurants, those gas stations. And in order for those people to be working, they are giving up something that you are taking for granted...weekends. Time. Time spent with their family over the weekend.
As you go about your last-minute grocery shopping on Sunday night, as you stop to feed your family after a day spent together having fun, as you fill up your car with gas to get you to work this week...take a moment to say thank you to the person checking out your groceries, to the waiter serving your food, to the attendant filling your car with gas...take a moment to realize and acknowledge the time they are not able to spend with their family because they are working to provide for that family. Are they always kind and courteous to you? Nope. Do they always deserve your gratitude or tip, your smile or appreciation? Yep. Put yourself in their place for a moment...what would YOU be giving up if you had to work that job to support yourself or your family? Retail work is not as easy as we assume it to be; the work itself may not be difficult, but the things they are giving up, the sacrifices of time they are making, are a tough trade-off.
Thank you, to the clerk who rang up our groceries at Trader Joes this afternoon, where we stopped after being able to attend Mass. Together. As a family. Thank you, to all the other retail workers that were not able to be with their family today because they were instead working...for you.
Thank you to my husband, who sacrificed 16 years of weekends to provide service to his customers, and to provide financial support to our family. It was not always easy to accept the things we could not do together because of your job, but it was worth it to get us to the place we are today. It makes it that much sweeter to watch you and our children finally get your opportunity to go "backyard camping" tonight. May the stars shine over you, and the outdoor critters stay away from you! We don't have the greatest history with critters in this household...
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