I had this post ready to go before Christmas and didn’t get it posted, but decided to put it up now anyway.
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I was already planning to blog about Christmas and consumerism when this tragic story about Black Friday came along. A temporary worker at a New Jersey Wal-Mart was trampled under a stampede of eager shoppers, suffering fatal injuries.

What kind of person tramples another to death without care? One that prioritizes financial gain over compassion. There is nothing more important than life. And that a life was taken away by a group of sheep trying to save money, probably while seeking presents to give to others, is digusting. Unless there is a life-threatening emergency, I can see absolutely no justification for such behaviour. I would rather pay double than stand crowded in the cold November weather to save a small sum. When compassion is disregarded and replaced by greed, we all fall down.

On a more positive note, I recently came across an awesome site via the Holistic Moms Network leaders group. It’s called the Center for a New American Dream. They have a great section and brochure on their site called Simplify the Holidays that is all about getting away from the commercialism and stress of the season and returning the focus towards peaceful celebration and personal fulfillment.