Is it really worth this?

I'll be the first to admit that I've stood in line for the doors to open on Black Friday MANY times! As a matter of fact, this year is the 28th anniversary of the first time my sister and I shopped on Black Friday with our mother. We started doing this the year after my father passed away and it very quickly became a tradition for the three of us. I've went out in the wee hours of the morning every year for those 28 years, except for two. I didn't go shopping with them in 2003 and I didn't go shopping with them this year.

I know first hand how it can be a good time waiting for those store doors to open, I know first hand the rush of adrenaline that comes when you're trying to achieve your goal of getting that prized item, and I also know first hand how ugly people can get over "stuff". I've seen the good and the bad, and I've experienced the good and the bad. Probably the only reason I didn't go shopping with my mother and sister this year is because of the fact that I had to work and right now bringing money into my home is far more important than spending it!

But stories like this one, about a young man who lost his life just because a few people were so obsessed in grabbing a thing, makes me sick to my stomach! Honestly, is there ANY possession on the face of this earth that is worth obtaining if it costs an innocent persons life? In my opinion? NO, there's not!

One lesson that I have learned very well about life is the fact that things can be here one day and gone the next. And although it may be a bit disappointing when they're gone, we get over it VERY quickly! Losing a thing is NOTHING in comparison to losing a loved one! Things can always be replaced with new things, but loved ones can NEVER be replaced!

The other thing that I've learned about holiday shopping is that even though there may be some great bargains on Black Friday, the bargains get even better the closer we get to Christmas! And those last few days before Christmas arrives, the stores are filled with so much product that they HAVE to get rid of, that they cut prices drastically!

My thoughts are with the friends and family of a man who was doing nothing more than trying to bring a little extra income into his home. I can only hope that the selfish people who trampled him over and ended his life are happy with the purchases they made and can live with the pain that they have caused!