Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and realize how lucky and blessed we are with the life we lead. It is a time we come together with our families and enjoy traditions we have grown to love.

Maybe your dad has to cut the turkey at 5:00 pm and dessert cannot be eaten until 7:00 pm. Or, maybe you go to the horse track and bet on the different races. Maybe you volunteer with your family. Whatever the case may be, Thanksgiving is a time we spend with our loved ones to celebrate our blessings.

However, recently, the spirit of the season has been taken away by the desire for the latest deal and newest order. Black Friday is the day after we give thanks when we trample other people for the biggest deal. As the demand for Christmas shopping, the newest gadgets, etc. grows bigger, stores are opening earlier and earlier as the years go on.

Retail workers, UPS workers, package handlers, delivery people, etc. all clock into work rather than sit around their dinner table with loved ones, in order to ensure the demands of the people are being met.

I can't wrap my head around the fact that people wait for hours outside of stores, the stampedes to get into stores, the fights that break out over items, and so on that occur moments after being thankful. It's terrifying that this is something our society values so highly.

Maybe I'm biased because I'll be working 18 hours in a 24-hour time span from Thanksgiving through Black Friday. But I do think something is wrong here. My store is opening it's doors at 6pm on Thanksgiving. Some stores open even earlier. Either way, in true consumer fashion, millions of people are being pulled away from their loved ones on a major holiday in order to wait on, serve, and deliver for shoppers looking for the biggest bargains.

Some stores are rebelling and refusing to open their doors on Thanksgiving at all. I applaud those stores for taking a stand. However, most stores, delivery offices, and trucking systems cannot afford to close their doors because of the high demand on Thanksgiving night and Black Friday.

I don't think this will ever change (unfortunately). However, I do encourage anyone going out on Thanksgiving and/or Black Friday to be kind to those that are working.