My Grown-up Christmas List
"What do you want for Christmas?"
That's the rallying cry this time of year...the time-honored phrase you hear everywhere in commercials, neighbors that meet by chance when walking the dogs, Santa's greeting children everywhere, and relatives who are having a hard time finishing off their shopping list. The older I get, the more I find myself answering 'No, please don't buy me anything!' I wonder how many people who get that response from me realize I'm actually telling the complete truth!
You see, I've never thought of myself as a revolutionary. During the holidays, however, I wish I could start a tiny little revolution in gift-giving. I mean what I say...please don't buy me anything! There's something else I'd rather have, something that would mean far far more to me than anything from a store. Something that's precious, and priceless, and would bring me much more enjoyment than anything carried around in a bag or shouted from every television ad this time of year.
In my 'wish of all wishes', what I would want is YOU. An hour, maybe two, of precious special time sharing something of yourself that I've always loved or admired, or dreamed of sharing. Give me MEMORIES, not things. Give me time undisturbed where we can truly connect.
The amazing part I bet there's only one or two people in my life that could actually guess what I would ask of them. Remember those little coupons kids give when they're little? "One Free Hug", or "Dishes Done for a Week". There's truth in those little scraps of paper. They show an effort to think about what in ourselves is worth giving, and what would truly matter to our loved ones. Why don't we do that as adults? I think the advertising blitz, the 'spend spend spend to prove that you love them!' mentality is so ingrained that we don't think about it anymore. And, I think we undervalue ourselves too. We tend to think of ourselves, and our unique gifts, as somehow not as important when it's time for gifts. I don't know what things I possess inside that my loved ones would like to share, but I can tell you an entire list of my heart's desires from each of my family members. Those things don't cost a penny, gather dust, and most important..... become lost and forgotten. If they're true memories, they become as important as our hearts decide they are.
As you rush around, spending and buying and stressing, please take just a moment and consider my holiday revolution. The next time someone in your family asks what you want....tell them! You might find them filled with delight and surprise that the things closest to YOUR heart could be free and bring you priceless memories. And what greater gift could we possibly give our loved ones??
That's the rallying cry this time of year...the time-honored phrase you hear everywhere in commercials, neighbors that meet by chance when walking the dogs, Santa's greeting children everywhere, and relatives who are having a hard time finishing off their shopping list. The older I get, the more I find myself answering 'No, please don't buy me anything!' I wonder how many people who get that response from me realize I'm actually telling the complete truth!
You see, I've never thought of myself as a revolutionary. During the holidays, however, I wish I could start a tiny little revolution in gift-giving. I mean what I say...please don't buy me anything! There's something else I'd rather have, something that would mean far far more to me than anything from a store. Something that's precious, and priceless, and would bring me much more enjoyment than anything carried around in a bag or shouted from every television ad this time of year.
In my 'wish of all wishes', what I would want is YOU. An hour, maybe two, of precious special time sharing something of yourself that I've always loved or admired, or dreamed of sharing. Give me MEMORIES, not things. Give me time undisturbed where we can truly connect.
The amazing part I bet there's only one or two people in my life that could actually guess what I would ask of them. Remember those little coupons kids give when they're little? "One Free Hug", or "Dishes Done for a Week". There's truth in those little scraps of paper. They show an effort to think about what in ourselves is worth giving, and what would truly matter to our loved ones. Why don't we do that as adults? I think the advertising blitz, the 'spend spend spend to prove that you love them!' mentality is so ingrained that we don't think about it anymore. And, I think we undervalue ourselves too. We tend to think of ourselves, and our unique gifts, as somehow not as important when it's time for gifts. I don't know what things I possess inside that my loved ones would like to share, but I can tell you an entire list of my heart's desires from each of my family members. Those things don't cost a penny, gather dust, and most important..... become lost and forgotten. If they're true memories, they become as important as our hearts decide they are.
As you rush around, spending and buying and stressing, please take just a moment and consider my holiday revolution. The next time someone in your family asks what you want....tell them! You might find them filled with delight and surprise that the things closest to YOUR heart could be free and bring you priceless memories. And what greater gift could we possibly give our loved ones??
posted by GreyCrazy at
7:56 PM
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