I'm so disgusted by the grotesque behavior that has been unfolding all over the U.S. for material things, all so stores can break even. It's sad, disturbing, and so depressing to live in a society where this is a common occurrence.

Earlier this week Alyssa and I met with her pediatrician. It was about her tonsils and adenoids, but I thought it also important that we address her ever-present, overwhelming anxiety. Some days she'll stress about how to cut a pumpkin out of paper properly. She won't stop until I agree to walk her to class and help direct her before the bell rings. Other times she'll cry about how she'll have to learn to drive and doesn't know how. She's worried about it now, at 5!

Her doctor assured me it's normal and that it all stems from the separation anxiety she's experiencing in Kindergarten. This transition was hard for Samantha, too, but not nearly this challenging or distressing.

He gave me some guidelines for helping her through each challenge, including finding humor to help her cope. Then he told me something that I had never thought of before. . . . He explained the overwhelming anxiety that we, adults, feel about things in the world, including Black Friday madness, become the fodder of late night TV comedy bits. He said that we have those programs as a way to provide humor about the crazy things in our society. It's the adult way to help ease our minds and allow us to drift off to a pleasant sleep.

I had never thought of it like that before. Interesting food for thought for sure.