It’s a crazy time of year. One day we’re enjoying family, loved ones and giving thanks for all that we have, and the next (or maybe even same-day) we’re off and shopping, grabbing and buying, getting and gifting — seemingly as if to say that what we or others have isn’t enough to be thankful for after all.
Don’t get me wrong — I love a good bargain as much as the next person, but the seasonal whiplash of give-thanks-then-buy-buy-buy is a bit much. For me, anyway.
In between football games peppered with Black Friday commercials, I got to thinking about the retail tug-of-war as I was battling a serious food coma. My thoughts weren’t the clearest, but here’s my what-if.
What if Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases were all for charities? What if everything was for a complete stranger truly in need? What if the price of every get-it-while-it-lasts deal was the amount of a direct person to person donation? What if all our bargain- hunting skills were for the greatest game imaginable — the game of seeing how full our hearts can become as a result of pure selflessness? Maybe — just maybe — seeing a single mom open her wallet and magically finding the exact amount of cash that you were thinking about spending on a new bag or tablet would be the best Christmas ever…clearly for her, but also for you — for your soul. Because if we’re talking profit and loss here, there would be no losers. Only two people profiting.
There are a lot of deals this time of year, but the best deals in my eyes are the ones that have an element of giving back: purchasing this means X-percent is given to this charity. Buying that ensures a portion is given to a specific cause. That’s my kind of deal, and for them I am thankful.
What’s yours?
