After seven consecutive years of retail, this past summer I decided to put my name tag down (though I rarely wore it towards the end) and move on from retail. However, now that the holiday season is upon us I want to let the current retail associates know that they are not forgotten during these dark times.

Dear Retail Associates,

The holidays are here, and even though your store has had decorated trees up since September, the holiday crowds and madness are now truly upon you. Black Friday is over and if you're reading this, congratulations, you have survived. But that was only the beginning.

Please know that you have not been forgotten and that you are the true heroes during this time. If it were not for you many Christmas trees would be bare, no festive crimson and emerald paper wrapped boxes would be found, those eight festive days would be a drag when the children and families find no celebratory wrappings. If it were not for you customers could not reach out to perfectly packaged gift sets and mumble under their scarves, "One for Mary and one for me."

Your absurd midnight hours, or the even more maddening overnight shifts worked with the hope that there might be one person hunkering for gifts at 3 am, have not been worked in vain. For without you many of us would not know where to find, "You know that reindeer sweater you had in your flyer!" We know you haven't memorized the flyer, but you try your best to find the sweater for the ever-pleasant customer.

Your patience for the impatient is a characteristic found among saints and we are grateful for that. You are there to read the sale signs slowly when customers are seeing and believing that is says "50% Off" and you must ever so delicately explain its "Buy One Get One 50% Off." Many of you are asked to assimilate the "new, seasonal helpers," when you barely have time to do your own jobs. Seasonal associates are often scared and clueless to how your store is run. These new associated can often be found hiding in the back of a deserted section looking wide-eyed and pale. You wish nothing more than to shake them and yell, "Why did you come?! What were you thinking?!" In the hopes they leave and never retrun.

Your strength and courage is unmatched. Delivering the news to a desperate customer that your store is out of stock of the coveted item is news no associate wants to deliver. The repercussions could be deadly and may involve the ever frightening words, "I want to speak to your manager," to be muttered. During these times, know you are not alone. Many of us who have walked the treacherous holiday retail path are with you.

For those of you who manage the floors, you are true retail warriors. No one can fold and pack a shelve of jeans, shirts or set of holiday pajamas like you. However, you know that with every perfectly stocked shelf comes it's swift and careless destruction. Shirts are ripped out from the bottom causing an avalanche of penguins in a Santa hat to occur; accessories are knocked down to get to the back one, "Becky just has to have." You watch the very items you cared for torn out and left for dead on the pasty linoleum floor or rust colored carpet. You wish nothing more than to pick them up, but can't because you're being paged to help check out customers at the registers or cover a break for those who can't escape their departments. You look at your two hands and wish for more or none so you could be excused from work. Still you march on.

At the end of the day your feet are sore, your eyes are puffy, your head is pounding from hearing the same terrible Christmas mix over and over again, but the holidays have been made possible once again. Thank you for your service, for making the holidays magical, for putting a smile on a child's face and for not killing or choking a customer, even though behind the break room doors you've threaten such acts more than once.

Sincerely,

An Old Friend