It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving. A day that we set aside to express gratitude for all that we have in our lives. I must admit that it is my favorite holiday. I also must admit that it is a time of year when I am so disappointed by a lot of people. My main source of discontent are those who object to Walmart being open on Thanksgiving – “How dare they! This is a day that should be sacred so that families can be together! Shame on them!”
Really? If one feels that about one store what are they feeling about the rest of the country? Are these people opposed to the following also being open on Thanksgiving: hospitals, police stations, restaurants, airlines, motels, gas stations, newspapers, radio stations, movie theaters, etc? The list could go on.
These businesses are open because people need them to be open and because they want them to be open. “Let’s go away for Thanksgiving – we’ll put the dog in the kennel,” “Let’s go out to eat on Thanksgiving so that no one has to cook or clean up!” “Ooh, let’s go shopping after dinner to see what’s on sale!” “Oh no! Mama is having a heart attack, call the hospital!” And let’s not forget that some people are dedicated to their jobs and choose to work on Thanksgiving. Others are simply thankful to have a job no matter what day they work on.
It’s not all about your feelings, you who complain. Once you begin to realize that Thanksgiving is a feeling in your heart every single day of the year and not just one day out of that year you might feel differently. Who knows, maybe you’ll even volunteer to work on the free Christmas dinner this kind community offers to everyone.
Debie McCutcheon Schmitt
Cortez
