You’re probably aware that yesterday was Thanksgiving, today was Black Friday, tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, and Tuesday is Giving Tuesday. All of these have to do with one thing: community. The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of community, partnership, victory and life. Black Friday many of us go out to stores and stand in line and make small talk with those we share our towns and cities with. Small Business Saturday is all about getting people to spend at their local small retail stores (mom and pop shops) to support them. Giving Tuesday is all about donating to non-profits and the organizations making a difference in our communities and around the world and giving them a portion of the financial support that we just spent in for-profit stores over the past week.
One thing that really stuck out to me this year as I read between sale emails, was the number of emails from organizations that included a picture of their whole crew as part of celebrating the season, thanking their supporters, and thanking their people too. It’s so easy to forget in this digital age that there are people who send these emails, people who pack our many boxes, people who bring the petitions to organizations and governments, people who grow all our food like turkeys and hams, people who pick up our garbage and recycling, people who truck items to big box stores and so many more examples, just like businesses sometimes forget that there are real people buying their stuff. There are people on all ends of the story, and it’s about time we not only recognize that but celebrate it as well.
We have a choice how we treat each other, the people we choose to have in our lives, and the way we living in not just our individual communities but how we share the world as well. Thanksgiving may be over, but I would encourage you as we enter this Christmas (and Hanukkah and shopping) season, to spread good tidings wherever you go and whomever you’re with, and let others know you appreciate them. It will be a better holiday for all if we remember we’re all part of a community and that love, peace, patience and joy goes a lot farther than rudeness and hate does.