Every year, Christmas comes around and family members begin to ask me what I want for Christmas. As I got older, of course, my answers would change. When I was younger, it was the youthful things like toys. When I got to pre-teen and teenage years, it was clothes and money. As I got into my college years, it was electronics and money. I soon realized that Christmas is the perfect way to track your growth and maturity based on what you ask for as gifts.

As a now 21-year-old adult, when family members ask me what I want for Christmas, or even my birthday, I often find myself thinking twice as hard than I ever did when I was younger. It has become much more difficult to think of something I want someone else to give me, and easier to think of something I want to give to someone else. This is how I knew I was coming into adulthood.

I am sure some of you reading this are calling me crazy, but you can't ignore the fact that it is a different kind of joy when you see someone excited about a gift you give to them. Sometimes I find myself more excited about the present I am giving to my mom or dad than they are. Especially when I am able to buy it with my hard-earned money.

Now, this is not to say that the little arts and crafts gifts that we used to make in kindergarten and give to our parents for Christmas does not hold just as much value. Believe me, my mother still puts them on the tree every single year, even though we are all over the age of 15 now. This also doesn't mean you should feel bad for being grown and still asking for gifts. I just think that it's nice to be able to provide for those who have provided for you all your life, and that brings me the most happiness.

So for those who can, I encourage you to really think about what you can gift someone else this holiday and I guarantee you it will bring you that holiday joy we all seek.