BLACK FRIDAY IS FOR REAL

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Thanksgiving is upon us and Christmas is being celebrated in the airwaves.  I keep hearing the words Black Friday as if some sort of extra holiday is on its way, pushing past Thanksgiving and tumbling into Christmas, and, in a way, there is truth to that. Retailers look forward to this day when millions of people will be out shopping, looking for deals or just enjoying the fun, while businesses make a profit.  Makes sense.  So we get this really long weekend of shopping followed by a Cyber Monday.  Historically, it hasn't always been this way.  

Black Friday has its roots in the 50's of the last century in Philadelphia, having to do with chaos in the city following Thanksgiving and the upcoming Army-Navy football game, crowds, traffic, shoplifters, and overworked police officers who gave Friday its bad name.  The term spread, doing retailers no favors, and finally, in the late 80's, retailers figured out ways to reinvent Black Friday, and turn it into something more positive, which, for the most part has been successful.

Whether you shop Black Friday or not is up to you, and I hope it is the beginning of a wonderful holiday season, not too stressful, not too glitzy, not too crazy.  I hope you can pause occasionally to look around you and really see what is going on, and enjoy.

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A MOMENT IN A DAY

Now that November is here, and the holidays are upon us, a story came to me to share with you.  After reading this, I hope you will be inspired to share one of your stories with me and others.

It was a few short years ago during the busyness of December.  I was working at Macy's for the exciting and sometimes stressful holiday season, and after hours of sales, returns, complaints, and some good laughs, I was ready to go home.

Since my car was parked behind the JC Penney store, I headed in that direction, tired, hungry, and happy; happy because it was Christmas.  Carols rang throughout the mall, giant ornaments of rainbow colors met my eyes, and scores of people bustling with their last minute gift buying.

Reaching into my pocket, I remembered the ten dollar JC Penney gift card I wanted to use and with just half an hour to closing, I figured it could be put to good use somehow, so strolling into the store, I pulled a bit of energy out and walked toward the holiday decorations thinking I would buy a new ornament for our tree.

We all have special personal gifts, and one of mine is a visual gift; I notice everything that appears out of place, and as I scanned the ornamented trees, a small red gift bag came into my view, and it was out of place.  I scooped it up, and being the curious person that I am, I peeked inside to find a beautiful silver gift box tied up with a golden ribbon, and inside the tiny box was an exquisite jeweled necklace.  Amazing!  I looked around but there was no one in sight. But I knew what to do.

JC Penney was clearly written on the tiny box so I figured there was someone wondering where they had dropped it.  I imagined it was a man who had spent a great deal of time choosing just the perfect necklace for his wife or girlfriend, and I thought how disappointed he would be when he noticed the loss.  I  imagined how he had saved a long time for this perfect gift for some special occasion.  But why did I think it was a man?  Because of the way it was wrapped, and the delicate beauty of the jewels.  A man would purchase this for that 'special someone.'  So off to the jewelry department I went, hoping to solve this mystery.

Of course, all of  the sales personnel were busy helping customers so I waited.  And as I waited, I observed mixed expressions upon the faces of the many waiting shoppers, some anxious, others cheery. Suddenly from a distance a man came striding towards the department, looking frantic and upset, carrying bags, sporting a tan trench coat, wire rimmed glasses, and wearing i.d. tags around his neck which clattered noisily as he rushed to the counter. He was perspiring as he approached, and in that moment I knew I had found the man.  I just knew.

Interrupting the sales staff, the man burst out that he had "lost the jewelry he had just purchased, and had it been turned in?"  There were a few seconds of confusion on the sales associates face until  I stepped up, handed the missing red bag to the girl, and said, "Here it is. I found it in the holiday ornament area."  I thought the man was going to have an attack right there.  His eyes became wide with astonishment that the gift had been found, and that anyone would even return what was lost. He came over to me, thanking me over and over again, then reached in his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and offered me a reward for what I had done.  Smiling, I simply said, "No, thank you.  I am just happy you have it back."  And that was it.

Afterwards, I felt sincerely happy.  The incident could have had a very different ending and I was glad to have participated in the man's joyful moment.  There is a verse in the Bible, John 2:24,25 where Jesus says that ..."He did not put his trust in people,"... and again in Philippians 3:3 where Paul states ..."We put no confidence in human effort"...  These verses show us how human nature gets in the way of goodness and joy.  I could have kept the necklace; indeed, it would have been so easy.  But I chose a different route, one with lasting value, and not because my human nature is more finely tuned.  It isn't.  It was up to me to do the right thing at the very moment when I had a choice, just as it is up to you when you when you are faced with one as well.