I saw this sign inside a store last Saturday and I couldn't help but think of all the shopping that takes place in the U.S. during the Christmas season. The American populace just loves to shop and it is a known fact that retailers make most of their earnings for the year during this period. It does seem like all that one does during the holiday season beginning Thanksgiving is shop and shop. The presence of hundreds of retailers offering huge discounts all the more make it easy to entice people to part with their cash for the latest, most fashionable, and most beautiful clothes or gadget. I have to be honest here, Christmas sales are simply hard to resist.

For the past several weeks now, the priests in my local parish church have been urging people to reflect on the real essence of Christmas which is the birth of Christ. It is likewise about the importance of being with family without necessarily giving gifts. It is the time of forgiving, loving, and caring and I can only say "Amen" to that.