All I Want For Christmas is Spending Time With You

It seems the older I get, the less I want for Christmas. I've reasoned that this is due to several things. First, I have the means to buy something I want when I want it, instead of waiting for someone else to maybe put it under my tree. Second, my house is so full of things I thought I needed, but later realized I simply wanted for a brief moment in time. Third, I value time more than things these days, and that's something you can't buy or give.

In response to the question of what I wanted for Christmas, this is the first year that I've found myself saying, "Spending time with you at Christmas is the only thing I need." It may be a cliche, but there is a profound truth in such a statement and it doesn't have to do with age.

During my junior high years, my economics teacher surprised me by injecting a life lesson into the middle of his talk on wise spending. The funny thing is that of all the time I spent in his class that year, the only thing I remember is this: If you need to decide between spending money on a new sofa, or spending it on a trip with the family, choose the trip. Ten years down the road, your kids won't remember when they got a new sofa, but they'll tell their kids and grandkids about the family vacation. My teacher said you have to determine the long term benefit to realize the true value.

And everyone who's shared a family vacation knows that the more memorable times will be when things go awry, such as playing Pictionary by lantern and flashlight in the garage during a ferocious electrical storm that zapped out the power. That's our most memorable family get-together to date.

But some of the best memories are when two family members of different generations share an activity they both enjoy, such as the image below of my daughter and her grandma briskly walking in the biting wind of a wintry prairie day. They both came back to the house tired, yet invigorated. A special moment to treasure for all three of us, brought together for Christmas.

A Walk With Grandma

So if I can give you one piece of advice to end this year, it's this...cliché or not, spending your time with someone is more valuable than anything money can buy.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our house to yours.

The Draper's, 2010