When I was little, I was the first one awake and sitting around the tree on Christmas morning. It was part of the excitement to wake up before anyone in my family and wait for them to come to the living room so we could open presents and I could play with all of the fun new toys I got. Now that I’m older, Christmas isn’t so much about the gifts. It’s more about getting to spend time with my family and giving them something a little bit more than a handmade ornament.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve stopped getting up super early on Christmas morning. In fact, my parents are usually awake before I am. It’s become a part of our Christmas traditions. We don’t even go straight to the tree anymore. Sometimes, we’ll eat breakfast and get ready for the day before the first bow is untied. Little me would be extremely disappointed because she wanted her presents first thing -- that was really the most important part of it all. Now that I’m older, I appreciate our timeline.

I appreciate the time I get to spend with my parents, just the three of us. We don’t get much time like that. Sure, the presents are nice, but they aren’t the number one thing on my mind when I wake up anymore. It’s kind of ironic that while Christmas seems to be getting more commercialized every year, for me it isn’t about the presents half as much as it is about seeing my family and spending some quality time with them.

When I was little, making a Christmas list was pretty much the single easiest task I had every year. Now that I’m a little older, thinking of things that I actually want is a difficult task because I know I don’t actually NEED anything. Honestly, I love seeing the look on my family’s faces when they open a gift that I’ve given them. The most that I could have gotten them when I was younger is an ornament I made in class or a drawing. While I enjoyed giving those gifts, it’s nice to be able to give people gifts that they’ll actually use.

Truth be told, as the years have passed, I’ve gotten a lot more appreciative of the things I have and the things that I receive. I’ve learned the value of a dollar and I know that I am not entitled to anything. The gifts people get for me, they get because they want to. I would be happy on Christmas whether I got one gift or 100 because honestly the best present that I get during the holidays is seeing my family. We all have busy schedules and I don’t get to see them as often as I would like, and I know that one day I could be a little farther away from them than I am now. Christmas has changed for me. It’s not the same as it used to be, but I think I like it better this way.