A New Tradition

I like traditions.  There is a comfort in knowing that some things will be just as they always have been.  If you have not guessed by now, I lean towards order.  A place for everything and everything has a place.  But I know that life can be unpredictable.  Traditions start and stop in response to the changes in life.  Black Friday shopping is one of the traditions that has come and gone.

Shopping has long been a passion of mine, but I did not go shopping on Black Friday.  That all changed one Thanksgiving many years ago.  I heard my aunt and cousins talking about the deals that were being offered.  They were loading up at 3 am to hit the lines on Black Friday.  I considered it an opportunity to spend more time with my family and see what the fuss was all about.  We bundled up into the truck and off we went.

When I say it was bananas, man it was bananas!  The energy in the air was electric.  People were passionate about these deals.  Maybe a little too passionate for me.  To get away from some of the chaos, I went to the regular clothing section.  No Black Friday deals there.  Just regular clothes at regular prices.  I picked up a jacket to get a closer look and wham!  Some lady snatched it out of my hands.  Clearly, I was not far enough away from the electric energy.

You might think that the insanity would deter me.  But you are wrong.  I did find some great deals.  We store hopped until we were about to drop.  Somebody pointed out a Mexican restaurant at about noon.  We collapsed into chairs and ate and drank and talked.  I was hooked!  When we got back to our respective homes, we all passed out.  A new tradition was born.  Black Friday shopping and a stop at the same Mexican restaurant.

The tradition held fast for many years until it didn’t.  The restaurant closed.  Black Friday crept into Thanksgiving day.  Things were not the same.  Although our traditions have had to adjust through the years, I am thankful that we are continually creating new ones.  If 2020 has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that change is inevitable.  But that does not mean that I cannot find joy in doing things a different way.  I hope you tackle changes with a positive attitude.  Make that a new tradition.  That makes all the difference.  #wepreach