Giving Thanks and Opting Out

I've been thinking about what I am going to tell Noodlebug about the first Thanksgiving.  I have thought about what it must have been like for the Pilgrims. They arrived here searching for religious freedom and found a lot of challenges and hardships.  Without the help of the Native Americans, they probably wouldn't have survived their first year.  So, when they sat down to that first Thanksgiving meal and looked back at the difficult times they had been through and the friends they had made, I'm sure their hearts were filled with gratitude and praise. 2010 has been a horrible year for so many people I care about. Jobs have been lost, marriages have crumbled, loved ones have passed away, financial hardship is everywhere. 

In the midst of these reflections, I have been taking in all the Black Friday ads that are everywhere. Now, I love a good deal.  I get a ridiculous thrill from seeing how much I have saved by using coupons.  But I am sickened when I think about the lengths people go to for Black Friday discounts.  What does it say about us that we go directly from the Thanksgiving table to waiting in line at 4am for deeply discounted flat-screen television?  I have heard stories on the radio of people pushing and shoving, stealing items out of other people's carts and resorting to truly disgusting tactics to get a good deal.  One poor man was even trampled to death last year because of this game of getting a good deal on things we don't even need.  I am opting out of Black Friday.  I will be cherishing the day off by spending some quality time with my family.  We're going to see the Nutcracker movie and spend some time outdoors together.

2010 has been an annus horribilis full of challenges and sadness.  When I look back, I realize that what got me and others through it was the support of the people in our lives.  Like the Pilgrims, I'll be sitting at my Thanksgiving table thinking of the friends who supported me over the past year and helped me to survive. And I'll be counting my many many blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogger and internet friends!  I am thankful for you and I wish you every happiness in the coming year.