In A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Lucy asks Charlie Brown, “Isn’t it peculiar, Charlie Brown, how some traditions just slowly fade away?” Although Lucy may have been referencing pulling the football out from under poor Charlie Brown when he tried to kick it, it seems like Thanksgiving is fading further and further away from its original purpose: to give thanks for our blessings and to spend time with loved ones. Unfortunately, instead of rushing to get to all of the delicious food we are lucky to have on Thanksgiving, many people spend more time stressing about their Black Friday plans, and rushing to the stores in search of bargains.

When I think of the spirit of Thanksgiving, I see the image of a family simply spending time together. That may include sitting around a table eating together, traveling together, or even just gathered around the TV watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or football. Instead, our society and the media focuses on the millions of desperate Americans lined up outside of thousands of stores across the country, waiting for them to open their doors so they can trample each other in order to get to that $10 blender or half price laptop. What does this say about our values? The word “thanksgiving” does have the word “thanks” in it.

Yet, on that Thursday, millions of Americans will slide away from the table early because they simply want more. What about the store workers that have to sacrifice their family time in order to babysit a bunch of crazed shopaholics? Is this what we really want this holiday to turn into? I know I don’t.

It just doesn’t make sense that we feel okay taking a holiday that emphasizes the importance of appreciating all the gifts we are given and the importance of family and twisting it into a commercialized circus. The good news is, retailers are starting to realize how out of hand the Black Friday and Brown Thursday situation is getting. This year, many stores are closing their doors on Thanksgiving and not opening until early Friday morning. Some of these places include The Mall of America, Barnes and Noble, T.J. Maxx, Ikea, Petsmart, and many more.

Part of the problem is being fixed. However, we still have a long way to go before Thanksgiving will return to its original family-orientated status. Being thankful for the physical things we own is great, but Thanksgiving is more about being thankful for the bonds and relationships that have touched our lives in a positive way. It’s as simple as what Marcy tells Charlie Brown, “We should just be thankful for being together. I think that’s what they mean by Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown.”