BROWN THURSDAY, BLACK FRIDAY, CYBER MONDAY

We all saw it, experienced it, or stayed out of it.  The television news was filled with shoppers rushing into the stores fighting over the bargains.  We all lamented and picked up a fork and continued to eat.  We read articles and blogs about the stores who opened on Thanksgiving Day to offer their enticements for us to come shop.  Some considered this unamerican, blasphemous, and destroying the family.

Thinking about all of the mayhem and the complaints, I ask "why all the fuss?"  Are the retailers the blame for desecrating the holiday?  NO, for look at the number of shoppers who delayed family meals and some even left or cut short family meals to go shopping.  If NO ONE went shopping, do you think the stores would do this again?  NO.

DO retailers have the right to open on any holiday or any day for that matter?  YES!  Amazing that those who want to allow businesses to have freedom to do as they please without any government interference or regulation are the first to be upset by this kickoff to the buying season we call Christmas.  Retailers are in the business to make money.  Making money requires a sale.  Sales occur when a transaction happens or when a willing buyer agrees to pay what a willing seller agrees to accept as payment.  IF there are NO BUYERS there will be NO SALE.

Actually all of this boils down to creating a need or a sale.  Retailers create lead ins so we will come into the store or go online and shop.  These inducements can lead to impulse buying.  We are all guilty!  We get the illusion of how much we save by purchasing the lead in price.  Gas retailers practice this also.  Ever notice gas prices.  The price is 2.569.  We will think we are paying 2.56 per gallon.  What are we really paying?  2.57 per gallon.

This is only the tip of the iceberg though.  The real problem lies in the real reason for the season.  Parents want their children to have a good Christmas so they seek to give them good gifts at Christmas time.  Is this a bad idea?  Not at all!  What makes it bad is the amount or volume that we feel we must give.  Again, we are influenced by the advertisements and the impulse of going in the store.  They appeal to our desire to save or get a bargain.  Sometimes, this causes us to overspend.

I have debated so much about all of this over the years.  I don't always decorate.  Some may even call me Scrooge, but there is more to it than decorations, gifts, and big meals.  This season is about love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and yes SELF-CONTROL.

SELF CONTROL is learning to say no and setting limits.  I love to eat.  I have problems with self control.  We all have those areas of life where we deal with self control or the ability to say no because we have limits or boundaries that we know we should follow.

Sometimes self control is mistaken for obsession.  We can go overboard with anything in life.  Food is necessary for us but when we eat too much we endanger our health.  The same can happen in our desire to be good parents and give our children more than we had as children.  We need to learn SELF CONTROL.

The greatest gift any of us can give is UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.  Showing our children unconditional love by what we buy and what we do backs up all the words we say or all the toys and gifts we can give.