Be Kind to Retail Workers—They’re Stressed Too

Do you know who the unsung heroes of this whole Coronavirus situation really are?

The retail workers.

The checkout clerk at your local Target.
The bag boy at the grocery store.
The woman walking your pick-up order out to your car.

These people are working so hard FOR US—and I have a feeling the level of chaos swirling around probably makes them feel like they’re right back in the madness of the holiday season, minus the Christmas music and festive spirit.

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We need to realize that the same employee being berated in the middle of King Soopers for the shortage of toilet paper (which is totally out of his control, by the way) is likely worried about how this pandemic is going to affect his own family.

The checkout clerk who is receiving eye rolls, sighs, and impatience as a result of the long lines might be thinking about her mom whose health was already questionable before this.

The kid working tirelessly to keep shelves stocked to the best of his ability may be worried about his immunocompromised little sister who started coughing this morning.

And yet they’re still at work, showing up to earn a paycheck and provide us with what we need.

These people are in the middle of the chaos, through no choice or fault of their own.

Hear this:

In a time where it seems the whole world has lost its mind, these people need our kindness and appreciation. They’re doing everything—EVERYTHING—in their power to do their job and help the public, but not unlike the rest of us, this situation is out of their hands.

Kindness has always mattered, and it still does.

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So while you’re out and about doing whatever shopping it is you need to do to calm your heart, don’t forget to smile at these hardworking ladies and gentlemen.

Take a second to ask how their day is going.
Tell them thank you for their hard work.
Make sure they know just how appreciated their efforts are.

Let’s not overlook our mutual humanness in our scramble to find toilet paper.

We’re all in this together.

This post originally appeared on Bouncing Forward with Casey Huff