In general, growing up, you were definitely one of my favorite holidays. Christmas day is one of those days that you wait for all year, but it's also one of those holidays that just sneak up on you. As a child, I never really understood how much stress is actually put on this holiday, but as a 20-year-old woman, I see how much work, time, and effort people put into it.

Families start baking Christmas cookies a month before the "big day." They decorate the day after Christmas, filling their front yards with white lights and fake pine trees and illuminate the street with their display. They also start Christmas gift shopping in July (I haven't even started yet).

After realizing how much stress and effort is put into Christmas, I also realized that after all the baking, wrapping, and decorating, we all have something to wish for, a "Christmas Wish" to be exact. Usually, Christmas wishlists are filled with toys, electronics, books and every new material thing you can think of. After being a child and growing up, and being surrounded by both adults and kids, the "Christmas Wishlist" has most definitely changed.

Now most kids ask for an iPhone of some sort, or a tablet (I used to ask for a Barbie or a Skip-It), and adults "wish" for a job, or a better income. They wish for stability in a world where that's not really guaranteed. Adults wish for safety within a country at a political cross-roads and some, even wish for the general health of a loved one. Adults wish for things that don't really pertain to the idea that Christmas is "materialistic."

Actually, all holidays bring a sense of hope and a promise that a new beginning is right around the corner.

Being an "adultish" person, I recognize these kinds of struggles and how people are really begging for some kind of answer. They're struggling, big time, and this is the time of year where everyone kind of has hope. So my Christmas / Holiday wish is that we can all find a way to make things work... Find the peace of mind we're searching for, find the love we've waited for, find the miracle we've been praying for.

So, with that being said, take this Holiday season to really live what you have and hope for what you don't. Send happiness and peaceful wishes everywhere, because you're never too old for a Christmas miracle.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!