I hope the grocery clerk gets Thanksgiving off. Then I remember that I might be the person looking for an open store because I forgot something. Butter, probably.
There are people working while the rest of us eat. Some jobs cannot stop for a holiday. Others could, though somebody would have to accept less convenience or less profit.
I can be very much in favor of someone else’s rest until it interferes with my plans.
We say “the work of human hands” at Mass. I love those words. The bread and wine arrive at the altar through actual work, and on Thanksgiving I find myself thinking about the hands I never see. Picking vegetables can be hard on a body. So can lifting boxes all night. I have no idea whose back hurts because of the food in my kitchen.
And I do enjoy making this meal. I want a good dinner, with enough mashed potatoes that nobody has to be polite about taking seconds. Preparing food for people is satisfying work.
It also helps me understand why a person might take pride in a job and still need better pay or a shorter shift.
Catholic teaching has a lot to say about wages and working conditions. I know my own grocery budget matters. The worker has one too. That is where the conversation gets harder than a cheerful expression of thanks.
I’m comfortable thanking someone for their work. I’m less comfortable hearing that the job pays badly or that their manager keeps changing the schedule. I may have meant the thank-you sincerely and still be hoping to finish my shopping.
If I ask how someone is doing, I ought to give them time to tell me. And then I should think about if there is anything I need to change in my own life to support the other.
Lord, bless those working through this holiday, especially those who would rather be home. Protect workers who are injured or afraid to speak up. Help employers make fair decisions, and help me take workers’ concerns seriously when listening asks something of me. Amen.
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