Black Friday Eve

People travel long distances to be with their families on Thanksgiving. The really nice thing about the holiday has always been the focus on family and friends, giving thanks and sharing the bounty of food in a warm homey atmosphere. It's a pleasant contrast to the hubbub of Christmas morning and the focus on gift giving and all the stress of the preparation.

I don't like that stores are open all night. It is a shame. Some people may feel the need to sacrifice their family time to get a good buy with their limited budget, and I feel sorry that people have to make those choices, but other people may actually enjoy shopping for shopping sake. If they do, I hope they do it as a family.

I never go shopping on Black Friday, but I do go skiing. That too, can be disruptive to the Rockwell vision of Thanksgiving- getting up early, driving two hours, battling other ski fanatics on a few over crowded trails of machine made snow, but we all enjoy skiing and it's one of our traditions.

So whether you go shopping or not, take in a movie on Thanksgiving afternoon, or watch the Lions and Cowboys in between the turkey, I hope you do these things with your family, and give thanks for being able to pursue your happiness in a way that brings your family closer together.