Happy Day of Grace.

Today many families gathered together with the special people in their lives to celebrate a holiday that may or may not be part of their culture. But it is a day chosen to be open to grace and gratitude.

So we gather at the table and break bread and express our sentiment and are humbled by the magic of it all.

We have for many years, through television or the Saturday Evening Post, been told how this gathering should look.

The table set for a larger family, turkey in the center surrounded by pies and side dishes and candles glowing. A picture perfect scene for a post card.

It depicts peace and family and love, a scene almost every home in America attempts to duplicate.

Then the day is over and tomorrow is Friday and it is identified as "black friday". A day in which peace, family and love is no longer a part of the day. It's now about a market deal. A day in which everyone rushes to a store to buy products that only bring momentary pleasure. We get rude, obnoxious and are willing to physically and verbally hurt strangers at a store for a good deal on a product.

The media has been preparing us all for this day through commercials, price slashes and the coining of the words "black friday" as if we couldn't already find a good deal before the momentary madness of it all occurs.

I choose to live with grace and peace and be consistent about how I feel and not allow social conditioning to play with my emotions in contradictory fashion. I will always give thanks without the madness of consumerism.