As Turkey day is now only minutes away, I finally am able to plop my aching feet on the couch and take a break. The past month has been a whirlwind of preparation for the big day, in addition to the insanity of regular life. This year my mom either volunteered or pulled the short straw for hosting Thanksgiving at their home. (Personally, I love it when she has it there – makes my drive much shorter!) Preparations have included, but are not limited too, painting the living room and hallways, re-arranging the furniture, reframing pictures, finding and hanging new curtains, printing pictures for frames, putting up old décor, and so on and so forth. I feel like I’ve done an HGTV show over the span of five weeks, rather than two days.
Regardless, while I was driving to some store today running a few last minute errands for mom, she mentioned that a few places, like Garden Ridge and Wal-Mart, were going to be open actually ON Thanksgiving. Her casual mention has been giving me heartburn ever since. Are we so materialistic and money-grubbing scrooges that our voracious shopping habits on Black Friday have caused retailers to remain open on the holiday for which we are celebrating? Thanksgiving is the holiday that is specifically celebrated in America. Christmas is celebrated all over the world, but Thanksgiving? It is a staple that celebrates gratefulness, care, love, family and friends for ALL Americans in honor of those who began this country. While the 4th of July is more like a party, Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and remembrance. A time when family and/or friends come together and express what they MEAN to each other. It is where we take our mind off of ourselves and look one another in the eyes and really know what the person, not an object, means to us. A time where our hearts grow warm with memories. It is not a time to make people work just so I can buy something I don’t need on sale. Come on people! Wake up! Stop selling your integrity for bigger and better inanimate objects. Can’t there be two days in the entire year that we just stop and live? I for one, will be enjoying the entire Thanksgiving Day with family and friends… when Friday comes, then I’ll join the shopping foray!
