Whether you have been one of the shoppers or not, we have all heard the horror stories of what happens on Black Friday in the retail world. The stories that make the news or that surface social media are almost always the ones where something (or someone) went terribly wrong.

As someone who has spent the last three Black Fridays working in retail, I can definitely agree that there are some, let’s call them, dedicated shoppers out there; however, the stories that don’t make the news are the ones about the rare shoppers who are kind and genuine and about the team of retail workers behind the Black Friday chaos.

Having to go to work on Thanksgiving night after spending the day binge-eating and being with family was always a dreaded task. I would spend my entire drive to work thinking about the mayhem I would have to endure into the odd hours of the night.

What I didn’t realize then, was that working on Black Friday would ultimately change my perspective of working in retail and allow me to grow closer to my team.

My team was an irreplaceable set of humans, no doubt about it. Despite the obvious stress that came with being a Target cashier on the biggest shopping night of the year, Black Friday was one of the most fun times to be just that.

Knowing that no matter the challenges I was presented with, my team had my back 100% is what made my job something to enjoy.

This gave me the opportunity to be able to truly appreciate the company of complete strangers. Despite the negative encounters that are inevitable in retail, I was able to meet the rare and occasional shoppers who were genuine with their words.

“Thank you for working tonight, so that we could be here shopping.”

Even if the gesture was small, it was something that I think all retail workers need to hear when working on a holiday.

What I’ll miss most about working in retail this Black Friday is my 2048 team, and the small acts of kindness that I know still exist in this world. I’m thankful to have been apart of the rollercoaster journey that is retail, and I have become a better person because of my experiences.

Please remember to be kind to those who are sacrificing their holiday to work, and happy Black Friday shopping!