On Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, a mother of three shot pepper spray to keep shoppers from grabbing a video game system she wanted during a Black Friday sale, leaving 20 people with minor injuries.
I've always wondered what it was that made it so special about the holidays. What was it that brought about that warm "holiday spirit" when most people are just focused on the presents? There has always been a high demand for new toys and gifts when it comes time for Christmas, and nowadays it seems like more and more people are missing the point entirely. Sure, Thanksgiving may still be preserved in its purer form than that of Christmas, but even this can be argued in America, where Black Friday now overshadows it. So where has the spirit of thanks and love gone, only to be replaced by a spirit of buy-and-consume without stopping to think of the real reason we have these holidays?
As I read about this lady who savagely fought for a game, I continued to wonder if this sacred time of the year has been completely lost in the scramble to "get the best deal". I mean, whatever happened to just writing a nice letter or leaving those anonymous presents on the doorstep of a family in need? I've always thought that the satisfaction of serving others is worth a million times more than any material thing I have gotten for Christmas. Maybe it's just me, but I have this sneaking suspicion that it isn't. So this year, instead of giving the material, I have decided to give the spiritual; to be the smile or the extra helping hand, or just the simple words "I love you". I guess it's become my little effort in bringing back the reason we celebrate in the first place: Christ. It might seem cheesy, but probably not as cheesy as pepper spraying a few people to get a good deal.
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