whatever happened to the quiet time of advent before Christmas day or eve is certainly remarkable
no other time of our year has managed to become so noisy, commercialized, stuffed full of special sales with permahyped unique occasions that only last for a few hours
Black Friday has become national hysteria day people camping out overnight before the supermarkets to be the first waving on television diving into the pool of wonderful things on sale victoriously placing them under their Xmas trees
the stress this timely acquisition requires from the donors just adds another extra to the planning of their days
no time is left for quiet contemplation
and so what used to be the day to celebrate the birth of our Christian savior has turned into a goods exchange where size and value of bright packages are meant to substitute affections muted by the daily chores
maybe a more spiritual mood might take us back to the original wonder