Tis the season for time with family. Tis the season for traveling over the river, through the woods to grandmother’s house … we go.

As we prepare to gather with friends and family for the annual Thanksgiving feast, we also gather around the Thanksgiving Day newspapers to plan out the start — the frenzy — of the holiday shopping season.

In Thursday’s edition of the Times-Journal, you will see advertising from retailers from Broad Street to Montgomery, from Highland Avenue to Prattville. But, when planning out your Black Friday attack, it is important to remember the dollars spent in Prattville, Montgomery and elsewhere — other than helping check off your shopping list — do nothing for Selma and do nothing for Dallas County.

The dollars spent locally, from the mom and pop store to the national retailers, go to support our economy, support our schools, help pave our streets and support our first responders. Could deals be found elsewhere or even online? Yes, but the dollars spent locally provide jobs for those you know, those you go to church with and provide for their families.

We are not naive to ask everyone to purchase everything locally — shopping trips out of town are often time spent with friends and families away from the house — but making Selma and Dallas County your first stop is not too much to ask.

This year, make a point — make an effort — to find that something special here in Selma that would make your Christmas shopping experience more than just the deals you found or the great discount you found at 4 a.m. Friday. Make it about the time spent in your town — your hometown — and the impact you have on making Selma and Dallas County stronger.