Today we ran out of cat food. Normally that is not a big deal, Walmart is half a mile away and at only $11, it is doable. But today is the day before Thanksgiving. Say it with me...GROAN. Yup, angry people having to run last minute to put together a meal they normally don't cook with people they don't want to hang out with. That is right, the extended family. However, this year I am determined not to let those angry people annoy or frustrate me...so into the craziness I went, armed with a list and a goofy, happy eight year old.
As we navigated through the isles of Walmart dodging moms with kids trailing behind, men staring at the shelf with clueless looks on their faces and on the phone "I don't see it, they are out I tell you!", and the standard grumpy people that look like they lost the their sense of humor sometime in the last decade on the side of the road. We smiled at people as we went, said excuse me and pardon me as we moved through the isles. So after locating all of our items on the list, we headed out to the register. It was while waiting to be acknowledged by the cashier (4 items in she said hello) it occurred to me...how did such a good intentioned holiday get so twisted? How is it that normally polite people will give each other dirty looks in the parking lot while vying for parking spaces, or elbow each other for the last pumpkin pie on the shelf? How did it go from Thanks giving to Thanks give me!?
Okay, so I know that part of the problem is that I am a busy body and notice every thing going on around me at the stores...I try to keep my mind on my list, but seeing people do stupid things just is too entertaining! I want to show the lost men where the item their wives sent them for are located, I want to tell a good joke to the grumps. But sane people don't do those things (or so I hear), so instead I wear a ridiculous smile and compare prices with my girl and hope that she takes a page out of her mamas book and shops to the beat of a different drum. I would hate to think that the fruit would fall and roll far away from the tree, that she would not enjoy a good laugh or finds the little things though out the day to smile about...is that too much to ask?
I want you to think about who you are this season, the person dragging your entire family around without noticing them? The person that can't find happiness right in front of you? The one that can't feel the happiness at all? Or the crazy person walking around smiling, looking forward to getting home to their family to give them all a big hug? Call me crazy, but that sounds like the best option out there...
Happy Thanks Giving Y'all!
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