Some thoughts on Black Friday

Now don't get me wrong, I love shopping and getting good deals (READ: I love getting good deals.)  But this year with Wal-Mart opening at 8PM on Thanksgiving Day (along with a few others) and Target following suit at 9PM it just has me thinking about what has society come to?  Has going shopping and getting deals become more important than spending time with family?  

I've gone black Friday shopping before, so it's not that I despise it, because I don't.  But I can't imagine giving up Thanksgiving day to go get some deals on stuff that in all honesty I probably don't need.  I mean, I've been living without it for how many years?  Do I really need to give up spending time with my family to get it?  Probably not, well not even probably, I don't.  

Maybe it's just me getting older and wiser, but in all honesty, I've never been that big on getting gifts, I mean sure, presents are awesome but I love giving gifts.  I don't rush out and spend a whole lot of money on gifts either.  My grandmother started out with me when I was about 4 years old and had me craft gifts every year to give to the family for Christmas and each household would receive their own handcrafted gift.  Now at 4 years old crafting was not my best work, so it wasn't anything spectacular, I just took some Popsicle sticks and toothpicks and I painted them and added some glitter and made them into snowflakes and you know what?   Everyone still has them on their tree.  

I haven't crafted in 3 years since my grandmother passed because it just isn't the same without her around and I guess the memories are still too painful but I will start again next year.  My grandmother practically raised me so when she passed it was like I lost my mother.

I think what I'm trying to get at is Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for everything we do have and that we still have family to be surrounded by and not a time to rush out and buy gifts for people.  The holidays aren't about the gifts.  Cherish the times you have with your family because you never know when they will be gone. 

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