I have noticed that how I view Christmas is a whole lot different now than when I was 10. As a kid, Christmas was all about the presents, but now it is more about spending time with family and friends.

When I was younger I was the first person in my house awake on Christmas morning. I would run around the house trying to wake everyone up, but it seemed like no one was wanting to wake up. I never understood why, there were tons of presents under the tree, why wouldn't they want to wake up at the crack of dawn and open presents? Now I understand why, being a full-time student and working a lot I have finally realized the joys of being able to sleep in. It is not that they did not like Christmas or that they did not care, but instead it was because they were taking advantage of sleeping in and I now fully take advantage of that.

When I was younger we used to stay home for Christmas and I used to love it! I could stay in all day and play with all my new toys! Even if my family came to my house for Christmas, for the most part, I ignored them and continued to play with my toys. Now every year we go and visit my family in Brooklyn and I look forward to it every year. Since I am almost never home I almost never get to spend time with my family.

Christmas is considered the most wonderful time of the year. It is all about spending time with your family and friends, the presents are an added bonus. It seems though that the holiday season has lost its true meaning. The sales and the presents are not what it is all about, but instead, it is about spending time with your loved ones. As a college student, I rarely get a chance to see my family. This has truly made me realize that family is really important!