Last week, a lot of attention was given to stores that were open on Thanksgiving and the employees who had to work on the holiday. Since my father retired from a long career in retail last year, I understand and appreciate the sacrifices made by these folks, and their families. I can also tell you that even when stores were closed to the public, people were working on Thanksgiving in preparation for Black Friday.

All of these discussions made me think of others who work on Thanksgiving and other holidays. As I rattled off the list in my mind, I started to think about the wonderful people who work in the travel/tourism and hospitality industries. Just like retail, these industries hit their peak during holidays and require employees to work while many others are enjoying days off and time spent with family.

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge those who work in tourism and hospitality. Whether its bringing families together around a big Thanksgiving buffet at a restaurant, managing group tour headed for some famous holiday attraction, or making sure we have a comfortable hotel room after our big journey over the river and through the woods, you are here to make sure we can enjoy our holidays year-round.

Thank you for taking time away from your friends and family to take care of us.