Black Friday

I was just looking through the massive pile of ads that came in today's paper, and it made even me think, "I must need something!" That is really something. I quickly came to my senses, took a deep breath and decided to write about it. I get that retailers need to make money this year because the economy is bad and blah, blah, blah. I don't care. They certainly don't care about me.

Then I started thinking about Christmas. My daughter is amazing, because at 10, she knows the difference between want and need and knows that Christmas is about want. She also knows she has the cheapest mother alive and tailors her list to the few things she really, really wants. I have taught her from an early age not to equate her self worth with "stuff." I think people forget this simple idea. They "need" the latest gadgets and designer clothes and their closets are stuffed with, well, stuff. I am lucky that even in this economy, I have a nice house in a nice neighborhood. I have clothes to wear and food to eat. I have these things because I have figured out the difference between need and want. Sure, I go to stores and I think, "wow-wouldn't it be cool to be so rich that I could buy this and that and not worry about the bills each month?" "Wouldn't a Pumpkin Spice Latte (my favorite from my old life) be awesome right now?" The sad truth is, I can't. And if you are actually reading this post, you can't either. So...take a deep breath and hug your family and commit to stop thinking "stuff" is what you "need." You don't. Your child will love you even if they don't get that $150 (but on "sale" for $100) Star Wars Lego set. Your family will love you even if you don't have the newest smart phone or tablet. Guess what? They will love you more if you decide to "need" them as much as that latte. That is what the day after Thanksgiving should be about. Make it so.