ThanksWHAT?!?!

Ok, so I had a revelation this morning when I was sitting up to get out of bed. I started to think about how today was thanksgiving, and then tomorrow... well... tomorrow is the biggest shopping day of the year. Then I realized how stupid that sounded.
We are supposed to have a day to celebrate with loved ones and revel over the years events and then be thankful for all the good and maybe even the trials too. It's all happy and nice. Then we go out the next day and spend all of our money, and probably money we don't have taking our wealth, security, and stuff we already have for granted!! What the crap?? I feel as if that is kinda canceling out the lovely thankfulness we had the day before.
And it goes so much deeper than that. I really dislike the winter holidays. I don't like what they have been turned into. I don't like that I have been a part of it all my life... the presents, Santa, capitalism, spending hundreds of dollars to decorate the house and pay for the electric bill afterward. And what are most people celebrating anyway?? Are they celebrating the birth of Jesus or the coming of an imaginary character with flying mammals pulling his huge butt around the world?? Can we be celebrating both? Are we just doing it because "that's just how it is"? Oh, I am just getting more upset as I talk.
I am sorry to those of you who love the holidays and especially those who celebrate them modestly.
I love buying and receiving presents, I love eating delicious food, I love seeing people I love and spending time with them, and I love twinkling lights... I just want to keep myself in check to make sure I am celebrating for the right reasons and in a way that is not contradictory to the way I live the rest of my life.
I am in Michigan for Thanksgiving: dinner with Dad today and The Nolls tomorrow. Then I will be returning to Palatine probably Sunday. I was with the kids all day yesterday which was lovely. Maria and I had a blast and because it was nice out we got to go outside and play. We sang songs and played on the swings and I tried to teach her to ride her bike. It was great! I am very much looking forward to the fried turkey that we are having today! I love that stuff!! I think my favorite part of a turkey is the skin... sick but true!!