The Real Christmas Wish List
A while back, I stumbled upon this quote about the holiday season somewhere on the Internet: "I think as you grow older your Christmas list gets shorter, because the things you want can't be bought" (original source of quote is unknown). While there are all sorts of variations of that quote on the Internet, that's the one I'm going to go with.
When you're a kid, there's no morning that's as magical as Christmas morning. Nothing compares to coming downstairs and seeing the presents and stocking goodies from Santa. Christmas is pretty great as a kid; school's out for two weeks, there's lots of candy and treats, you don't have to worry about shopping for people, and you get to open up a bunch of gifts. Naturally, the Christmas list is lengthy and filled with all sorts of toys. It's a pretty sweet deal.
Now that I'm in the "young adult" phase of my life and out of college, I really have started to see that quote play out in my life. There begins to become a difference in what I'd "like to have" for Christmas versus what I "want" for Christmas. Would it be cool to get socks for Christmas? Yes, yes it would (side note: there's a huge difference between kids and adults -- socks are a great gift for adults, not as much the case with kids). However, whether or not I get socks for Christmas isn't going to make or break it. No, the things I truly want for Christmas aren't things that can be bought at Target, TJ Maxx, Kohl's, or on Amazon.
So what do I want for Christmas? Well, above all else, I want to spend time with my family and friends. To just have some days off to rest and relax with family, talk, eat some good food, and play a game or two, putting a puzzle together, and maybe even watch some football would be awesome. As I've gotten older it has gotten tougher to get everyone together. And while we have spent some holidays apart, it does make those times we have together all the more special, whether that's taking a ferry to an island in Washington or just staying in eating pizza and watching VeggieTales (both of which may or may not have have happened during Thanksgiving). I can always buy another pair of socks. I can't buy time with family.
To kind of go along with the above paragraph, having time off just to take it easy for a few days is also near the top of my Christmas wish list. Having a few days to get an extra hour or two of sleep, slowly drink coffee while watching The Office, reading a book, or walking around the neighborhood sounds pretty great right about now. And on a more personal level, what I want is to work on having a peace of mind, going with the flow, and having a closer relationship with God. While I realize those items may sound more like New Year's Resolutions more than Christmas list items, they are on the list nonetheless. They also all come from within, not from Santa or a big box retailer.
There's an episode of Arthur where Arthur and his friends try to create a new holiday. When their attempts to create one go nowhere, Arthur realizes it's because they're missing the actual point of holidays. He mentions that it still is one's birthday even if one doesn't get cake and presents. Piggybacking off of Arthur, it still is Christmas even if one doesn't get presents or stocking goodies. As our friend Mr. Grinch famously learned, Christmas doesn't come from a store. Jesus is the reason for this wonderful season. I'm looking forward to the holidays and spending time with family back home. There's a puzzle just waiting to be started and a feast just waiting to be eaten. Merry Christmas!
P.S. In the spirit of Christmas, here's a throwback photo of me and my sister on Christmas morning in Virginia from the mid to late 90's:
When you're a kid, there's no morning that's as magical as Christmas morning. Nothing compares to coming downstairs and seeing the presents and stocking goodies from Santa. Christmas is pretty great as a kid; school's out for two weeks, there's lots of candy and treats, you don't have to worry about shopping for people, and you get to open up a bunch of gifts. Naturally, the Christmas list is lengthy and filled with all sorts of toys. It's a pretty sweet deal.
Now that I'm in the "young adult" phase of my life and out of college, I really have started to see that quote play out in my life. There begins to become a difference in what I'd "like to have" for Christmas versus what I "want" for Christmas. Would it be cool to get socks for Christmas? Yes, yes it would (side note: there's a huge difference between kids and adults -- socks are a great gift for adults, not as much the case with kids). However, whether or not I get socks for Christmas isn't going to make or break it. No, the things I truly want for Christmas aren't things that can be bought at Target, TJ Maxx, Kohl's, or on Amazon.
So what do I want for Christmas? Well, above all else, I want to spend time with my family and friends. To just have some days off to rest and relax with family, talk, eat some good food, and play a game or two, putting a puzzle together, and maybe even watch some football would be awesome. As I've gotten older it has gotten tougher to get everyone together. And while we have spent some holidays apart, it does make those times we have together all the more special, whether that's taking a ferry to an island in Washington or just staying in eating pizza and watching VeggieTales (both of which may or may not have have happened during Thanksgiving). I can always buy another pair of socks. I can't buy time with family.
To kind of go along with the above paragraph, having time off just to take it easy for a few days is also near the top of my Christmas wish list. Having a few days to get an extra hour or two of sleep, slowly drink coffee while watching The Office, reading a book, or walking around the neighborhood sounds pretty great right about now. And on a more personal level, what I want is to work on having a peace of mind, going with the flow, and having a closer relationship with God. While I realize those items may sound more like New Year's Resolutions more than Christmas list items, they are on the list nonetheless. They also all come from within, not from Santa or a big box retailer.
There's an episode of Arthur where Arthur and his friends try to create a new holiday. When their attempts to create one go nowhere, Arthur realizes it's because they're missing the actual point of holidays. He mentions that it still is one's birthday even if one doesn't get cake and presents. Piggybacking off of Arthur, it still is Christmas even if one doesn't get presents or stocking goodies. As our friend Mr. Grinch famously learned, Christmas doesn't come from a store. Jesus is the reason for this wonderful season. I'm looking forward to the holidays and spending time with family back home. There's a puzzle just waiting to be started and a feast just waiting to be eaten. Merry Christmas!
P.S. In the spirit of Christmas, here's a throwback photo of me and my sister on Christmas morning in Virginia from the mid to late 90's:
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