Thanksgetting

On thanksgiving we like to lock ourselves inside the house with our close, and not so close, family members, eat food, catch up, and bond; but do we really? Holidays have changed. Thanksgiving use to be a holiday where we were thankful for our families, and opportunities in life; now we are thankful that old navy is having a buy one get one free sale on black Friday. What was once a holiday of giving has turned into another excuse for American buyers to go out and shop, shop, shop! Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, draws shoppers out of their homes when they should be inside with their family. However we must ask ourselves, is it thanksgiving that has changed, or American culture? It seems like now we would rather be sleeping outside target awaiting a sale on our favorite shoes, than bonding with our relatives. Materialism in America has posed more of a threat than just making us loose track of our values; we have become human-like drones of consumption. We see the open doors of large shopping malls pasted with signs claiming, “You need these!” “Buy, Buy, Buy!” “You can’t pass up this deal!” and we ambush more like beasts than humans. Last year there were numerous cases of death from people falling in the stampede of shoppers fighting to get the best deal. We need to raise human compassion, even if it means reducing sales. Many Americans dread spending time with their in-laws and obnoxious aunts who use thanksgiving to voice their opinions on your “desert-dry” turkey and “less-than-admirable” dining set. You pretend to enjoy your time together when in reality you are anxiously waiting for your pesky relatives to voyage home so you can watch the Sunday game. Why is this? Appreciating family and the time you have together, now, seems just as rare as a happy marriage. Divorce rates climb at the same rate as iphone sales, and no one seems to see a problem. We must return to the time when we valued our parents, in-laws, brother, sisters, aunts, and uncles more than the material items that we think will make us happier, and our lives more significant. The key to happiness can only be found when we let go of the things that don’t matter to us. Forget about iphones. Forget your new jeans. Forget those earrings. All that would mean nothing without loved ones to share them with. So share. Share, and give, and actually be thankful this thanksgiving.