I have been incredibly fortunate to live with parents who work to meet my needs. I worked hard through high school and applied for scholarships, so my college is paid for with minimal loans. I have a job that provides for my housing on campus and pays me well considering I really don't have any bills to pay. I can always put gas in my car, I always have food to eat, and I even have a little extra money to blow (after putting some in savings, of course) on going out, buying clothes, and other things I want. I am lucky to be able to say that I am satisfied.

See, while this sounds like the furthest thing from an issue, it kind of is. I have been struggling with the fact that Christmas is nearing, and I'm being hounded for the details of my Christmas List. But when asked what I want, my mind draws an absolute blank. With all of my needs met and rarely the lack of means to achieve a want, I have a hard time asking the people I love to give me things for a holiday celebrating the birth of our Savior, especially when I, as the average American, already live in excess.

Our society has become so appalling materialistic that people are dumbfounded when I toss around the idea that, maybe this year, I don't want to get anything. I understand the idea that this is a time of year to show love and appreciation to those who are special to you in the form of gift giving, but I feel like it has become something which we never intended.

But, maybe it's not entirely true that I don't want anything for Christmas.

Let me tell you what I actually want for Christmas.

I want to sit around a table full of food with my family as we laugh and catch up. These last few months have been so busy, and I haven't the opportunity to spend all of the time with them that I have become accustomed to over the last 20 years. I want to reconnect, laugh, cry, and enjoy all of the lovely insanity that comes with a family gathering.

I want to enjoy time with my friends away from the constant stressors of work and school and life, in general. We all work so hard, we stay up nights, study through weekends, and we all provide unwavering motivation for each other to make it day-to-day. I want to be able to sit back with them and laugh without the fear of our piles of looming in the not-so-far-off distance.

I want to spend some of my now free time helping someone who needs it. It's so easy to get caught up in my own bubble and the busyness of my life. I have this free time, and this time of year associated with joy and peace can be dark for so many. If I have so much, why not pay it forward?

I want to celebrate the true meaning of this holiday with the ones I love. I want to take time to think about the fact that our Lord and Savior came down to us in the form of an infant, so he could lead a pure, innocent, loving, perfect life, only to be sacrificed for your sins and mine.

So, give me time, give me laughter, give me love, give me peace. What more could I ask for?