Each year I am asked by friends on whether or not I will be going Black Friday shopping or if I have any desire to go with them. Thus far, I have only attended one black Friday shopping day and it was more than enough for an entire lifetime. I got a few nice deals but only went to one store because the mayhem was too much for me.

Ever since I was little, my family used Black Friday as the day to go get our Christmas Tree. It was the first day the farm we go to open and it’s a little cheerier than chaotic screaming and grabbing in retail stores.

When I think about all of the “hype” that comes with Black Friday shopping (or now what is starting to become Black Thursday) I start questioning where our priorities are during the holiday season.

Is finding good prices on a Thursday night that much better than spending a day of thanks to those who love you? This year maybe Black Friday won’t end with unnecessary accidents on the road or in the stores and will be safe. Then again, when does anything ever work out how we wish it would?

I think the reason a lot of people enjoy the holiday season is that of what it brings out of others. It is said quite often and is shown in countless movies, but when Christmas comes around it brings out another side of someone. Sometimes it’s a gentler, giving side, and sometimes you come across a Scrooge or two.

Why I enjoy this time of year, well the reasons are endless, but I really like how family-oriented the holidays are. Why does that have to wait to start until after all the gifts are bought during a crazy sales day? The talk is always “you feel so much better giving than receiving” but giving can come in other ways than physical objects. You don’t have to prove your love to someone by buying them an item you got up for at 3 a.m. Maybe you could take someone out for breakfast for the same price and get a quality conversation out of it.

Thanksgiving is about being grateful for what you have. Not going to chaotic and possible dangerous expenses to get what you don’t have.