The Myrrh Depot

After enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family, I had to return to work this morning. Today was optional for all who work for our company, but Tiffany needed to get some things done (she works with me) so we headed in at our normal start time of 6 am.

About 6:30 or so, I see the front door open to the office and my boss and his brother come in, carrying a new in the box generator they picked up from Home Depot. "Black Friday shopping" Matt told me as they unloaded a couple of ladders and a few other tools. They were good deals, and the items will help us here at the office. But I cannot imagine getting up to go shopping today, the day after Thanksgiving. The stories of crowds and lines and rudeness are legendary, and it is not something I ever want to engage in.

I am amazed that Christmas seems to last for two months now. Don't get me wrong, I love this time of the year. Some of my very best childhood memories revolve around this holiday. And my last great memory of my mother is from the Christmas of 2008, recorded in a blog post called "The Pocket Watch" that will be re-posted on Christmas Day. But it seems as though we keep pushing the envelop of when the season begins, simply to further commercial interests. A radio station in Columbus began playing 24 hour a day Christmas music the day after Halloween. A girl in my office put up the tree here the same day. And stores nationwide opened their doors last night at 8pm. On Thanksgiving. And I have to ask where does it end? Is nothing sacred anymore?

 Thanksgiving used to be about getting together with loved ones to give thanks for all the blessings and bounty you have received through the years. Sadly now, for a lot of people, it is about sleeping in a line to trample over as many as you can to get the best deal at the door. Is it really worth the discount? Is this what Christmas has come to?

Christmas was born out of the celebration of Christ's birth. And though opinions change and translations of the Bible vary, the story is that 3 wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. No where in that Bible does it say that they got the gold on sale at Walmart's 8pm door buster sale, or that the myrrh was 60% off at the Myrrh Depot on Black Friday. But today, we spend 2 months in spending frenzies and running after deals and one day reminding everyone to "Remember the Reason for the Season".

I am not try to preach here. In fact, will step off this soap box very shortly to go put up a tree of my own and decorate my own home for the Christmas Season. I do love this time of the year. It just seems as though we are headed to a time when this time of year is really going to last all year. Where the Christmas crazy sales will start the day after Christmas, and we will lose so must of the magic around the Christmas Season as it becomes woven into our everyday lives.

After all of the pageantry, after all the presents are wrapped, after the shopping is done, the kids are in bed and the cookies are out, get lost in that moment. And realize that the more we commercialize this wonderful event, the birth of Jesus Christ, the less special that event will be to the generations that follow. The course we are on in this world, I don't think that is a road we should travel.

Day # 599 and because there is not a chance in this world of me setting foot in any store today, it is definitely good to be me.

Have a great day everyone!


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