Happy Thanksgiving

What happened to the Holidays?

I haven’t blogged in awhile. Not much to say I guess. Either that or I feel like I’m just complaining. Truthfully I’m not.

Anyway, I am so irritated! (Oh wait is that complaining?) I’m so sick of people posting on Facebook, how stores are opened or closed for Thanksgiving. Even if your happy or not about it.

Here’s my take on all of this. Although in the past I have fallen to shopping at midnight when the doors open, I even went shopping one evening, maybe two years ago, to Michaels after Thanksgiving was over and I was driving home. Dragged the husband and the kids too. And for what?

Long lines, okay deals that have popped up early in the year, we just all forgot about it. I have had to fight crowds, cranky people and cold weather. It’s insane!

As I get older, and with the help of our seminary journey, I’m beginning to see things differently. The deals mean nothing really. In fact most people only buy it because it’s a “deal”. We often spend more than we save. Not to mention the other stuff like loosing sleep and being cold.

Have we become so greedy that we forget that some people really cannot have off. The nurse, the ER personnel, the police officer, the correctional officers, the firemen/women. How about the people who monitor your home alarm systems or the guys on call for snow removal and salting. There’s also the guy who repairs the heater that just died while your guest were there? I’m sure I’m missing some too.

So is shopping really that important? So all those people working that shift, are not allowed to relax and enjoy their families, just so you can get a “deal”?

What happened to big family dinners, and being thankful for a roof over our heads, and food in our stomachs? thankful for clothes on our backs and even or health?

I miss big family gatherings with all my aunts, uncles and cousins. I miss bowling with my cousins as Grandma slaved away in the kitchen, to give us a great tasty meal. I miss just having a great time visiting and not worried about what to buy or how much money I just spent. I’m sure those working miss that too.

Last year due to my job, I couldn’t go home for Thanksgiving. I shared a potluck meal on campus with the community of people who couldn’t go home either. At first I was angry and jealous, after all my husband could go home and he took my daughter, which left my son and I behind. At the time my son worked for a retail company open on Thanksgiving. But you know what, I had a great meal with good people. The food selection was incredible, the laughs were plentiful and the desserts were tasty. Best yet, I had only my dishes to clean up and I walked home not having to fight traffic and enjoyed the time I had. Sure I missed the family, I’d be lying if I didn’t. I will miss them this year too. But I’m okay with that.

I’m thankful for all that I have, when some have so little or nothing. I will not shop on Thanksgiving, instead I will pray for all those who have to work and those who wished they had jobs to complain about. I will enjoy my time with my husband, son and daughter, relaxing at home eating our special meal. Now I may be guilty of going to a movie too and I’m sorry for that. After all if I didn’t go those people wouldn’t have to work. But I am human, and it’s time spent with my daughter. (See you can justify things.) Besides, I use to bowl back in the day, that’s just as bad. But no , your right those poor people had to work at the bowling alley on Thanksgiving wasn’t much fun either. However I could Wii bowl……

But we certainly can live without shopping! As a side note, please stop posting that conversation on my Facebook! Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. May you all realize how many blessings you actually have!