Shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. It was well over a week ago, yet I haven't recovered. Let me recount to you this tale of horror... 4:45...IN THE MORNING! The journey we prepared for all night began. My boyfriend and I were doing the unthinkable. We were standing in a line to shop at Target at 4:45 in the morning. It was cold. We hadn't slept the night before. Oh, and did I mention it was 4:45 in the morning? We had every intention of only waiting for 15 minutes. But we were terribly mistaken. Target didn't open at 5. No, it opened at 6! But the real horror didn't begin until the doors opened. Was the world coming to an end? Did Target start handing out vital organs to those who needed new ones? No, they simply had a great deal on these chairs you sit in to play video games. What I witnessed was like a pride of lions racing to get the last antelope on the planet. The way these people ran and grabbed and fought literally made my jaw drop! I immediately went into one of my "Look what's become of society; I've lost all faith in the human race" rants. Had people already forgotten what day it was 6 hours ago? Thanksgiving: a day to give thanks and show appreciation for all that we have in this life. Once Christmas rolls around, I'm sure the children of my fellow shoppers will be very pleased with their presents. But what matters more is the time spent with loved ones and the traditions carried out during the holiday season. When I look back on past Christmases, I realize the things I hold dearest in my heart are not material objects. I remember my favorite songs, watching the Micky Mouse Christmas Carol, driving around after Christmas Eve dinner to look at the lights, the smell of homemade cookies fresh from the oven, leaving some of those cookies for Santa, feeding the reindeer special food that was really oatmeal and glitter, sitting on the couch after dark just to admire the Christmas tree in all its glory, the annual Christmas Walk in town where I sang Christmas carols with my girl scout troop, eating bacon waffles for breakfast Christmas morning, having Christmas Day Monopoly tournaments, and most importantly, sharing these things with the people I cared about most in the world. Things are changing for me now. I'm not living with my family anymore, but these small and seemingly insignificant traditions will continue to live on in me. And now I have the love of my life and his family to share the holidays with. Even more wonderful traditions to experience and be a part of. I'm looking forward to the day we start our own family and begin new traditions, as well as celebrate those we've carried out in the past. Of course my children will get their dolls and trains and trucks and plenty of socks and underwear, all of which will get lost and fade and tatter and tear. But they will also receive the gifts of love and family and tradition and learning to give in a world that constantly takes; and these will be the gifts that will live forever.