I came across this quote while I was reading yesterday afternoon. It actually speaks to an issue I've had conversations about at various times throughout the years. Although this woman was talking about a particular place, her words are relevant to many people in many places. As someone who has been asked about Thanksgiving recently, it seemed particularly appropriate to this time when many people will get caught up in the Black Friday frenzy of consumerism. I've watched as Black Friday creeps earlier and earlier each year--and it's expanded here since we arrived. When we left the US, stores were even opening on Thanksgiving itself, although in the state we were last in, it was illegal to do so, thus giving employees the chance to actually have a holiday.
To give a bit of background, Mary McNelis lived in a very rural part of Ireland. It's not far from where we live now, although we've lived closer in the past. Decades ago, she started a small shop selling machine knit sweaters, mostly for kids. She prefers hand knitting, but the machine was quicker. Her business grew and her kids eventually took over and expanded into other kinds of textiles. This is what she had to say:
Do we need it all? I suspect that the answer is usually no. I think the last line will stay with me for a long time. 'Because we were happy before we ever got it.'
Mary's story is included in this book:
Happy Thanksgiving/Thursday!
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