Christmas Blows Thanksgiving, Halloween Away as Shopping Season Begins

Ready or not, here it comes. I'm talking about that crazed time of year where shopping takes on a new level of stress, home decorating becomes paramount, endless parties beckon, and the children are home from school. Blend together, and you have the makings of the perfect storm. It can be very overwhelming just thinking about it, but it doesn't have to be!

What ever happened to Thanksgiving? You know, that cherished family holiday tucked between Halloween and Christmas? Halloween wasn't even over, yet the managers of our local Target store decided that it was a good idea to place a huge display of Christmas trees right in the middle of its Halloween costumes and candy. Huh??? When did Christmas take over Halloween? When did Thanksgiving become the forgotten holiday? Have we become so commercial as to stash Thanksgiving away in a hidden closet? Is Christmas so important that we now go right from Halloween to Christmas? I say, stop this craziness! This year, I absolutely refuse to get caught up in the insanity of the season. As a former Christmas over achiever, I am proud to come to this season-altering phase of my life.

I will embrace Thanksgiving this year, and truly ponder all of our riches. I'm not talking about our physical riches, which continue to dwindle with the shrinking economy. I will be thankful for our daily riches; the blessings of a healthy family, a wonderful group of close knit friends and neighbors, the camaraderie experienced by living in a caring, sharing community. Too often, we forget about the simple things for which to be truly thankful.

This season, I will refuse to become my usual, obsessed, O-C-D self during the holidays. I will not feel pressure to buy the hottest video game, which of course, cannot be found on any shelf in any electronics store within a 500-mile radius of my home. I will try to do most of my holiday shopping on the internet, thus freeing up more time to do more simple, and pleasurable holiday activities with my family; like baking cookies, riding around to look at the lights, or snuggling up to watch a classic holiday movie, while sipping hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire. OK, that may be a bit too Hallmark, but you get the picture.

So friends, let's get together and embrace the warmth of the season. My house may not be Southern Living perfect, but my door will be open to share stories and a bottle of wine. Less stress. More warmth. That's my motto this season. Let the season begin...