I've made Christmas lists for as long as I could remember. Even as someone who rarely takes up her parents' offers to buy her gifts, Christmas has always been the time where I forfeit my selflessness and allow my family to buy me the things I can't afford to buy myself.
Except this year, that is.
I've sat down several times with a Word document open, trying to formulate a wish list of items to unwrap on Christmas morning with my family. But, for the first time in my 19 years of living, I am unable to think of anything significant that I want.
At first I was confused by this predicament. As much as I hate to say it, I am a fairly materialistic person who loves to shop and buy tons of unnecessary things that I probably won't end up using much anyways. After more thinking, however, I realized that my inability to make a wish list stemmed from something deeper.
I realized that perhaps I was simply growing up, maturing into an adult who recognizes that material things simply aren't as important as the nonmaterial things. Being away from home for months at a time has taught me to value the immaterial things more than the material. My family, friends, and health are the most important things in my life.
This is my 2015 grownup Christmas list:
1. Spending more time with family.
Going to college and being away from home for months at a time has taught me the importance of spending as much time as possible with family. They're the people who have been by my side through all the good and bad, the people who have supported me in all of my endeavors and celebrated all of my accomplishments. And when I'm down, they're the first people to try to put a smile on my face. It's unfortunate that I see them as infrequently as I do, so this year I wish to dedicate more time to watching stupid movies and cooking meals with my family.
2. Seeing my friends from home as much as possible.
There's nothing like reuniting with your high school crew after a long time apart. All I want is to grab a coffee and catch up with the people I have to part ways with for the majority of the school year. It's easy to lose touch with friends from home, so every second I get to be with them is time well spent.
3. The good health of myself, my family, and my friends.
I think I take health for granted far too often. I am so lucky that all of the people I care about, including myself, are all in good health. Sometimes I forget that there are so many less fortunate people in the world who don't have access to all the healthcare and assistance I am blessed with, so this year, I just want to ask for the continued well being of those I love.
Does this mean I don't love a good present? Of course not.
But I guess I've learned something over the years: perhaps part of growing up is realizing that sometimes the material things simply aren't as important as memories made with the people you value most.
