When I was young, I always had a christmas list that was a mile long, full of every kind of toy imaginable. As almost all kids are when they're super young, Christmas can mean only one thing; Presents. Lots of them. I used to spend weeks at a time sifting through catalogs, circling every item in sight in red crayon, then showing my parents every single item that I circled to make sure they knew I wanted absolutely everything. I always fell hard for the temptation of materialism; It was its inviting grasp in which I could not shake.

However, I also loved all of the festive aspects that came with the holiday season. I always loved putting up the christmas tree, hanging up christmas lights in the yard, drinking hot cocoa, and all of the other traditions that came with the holiday. I have fond memories of putting cookies and milk out for Santa, and even going outside to put "Reindeer food" out so the reindeer could get their fill before moving on to the next house!

However, as the years went on, I noticed that my christmas lists have gotten shorter and shorter. For years, I did not know why this was, and had never given it much thought until this year, when my parents asked me what I wanted. I told them I would think about it for a few days, and send them some ideas in due time. However, after giving it serious thought, I called my mom and flat out told her that there's really nothing that I am dying to have, so just surprise me. She was a bit thrown off, but said she'll do her best. It was then that I realized that I have started to care less and less about presents as the years have gone on, and after giving it some thought, I realized why.

As I've gotten older, I've started to care less and less about material value. An unquenchable thirst for materialistic possession, has been replaced by the simple desire of wanting to be surrounded by friends and family. Sure, receiving presents can be nice, but material value can only lead to temporary happiness. Friends and family are forever. Now that I'm in college, I only see my family, especially my extended family, ever so often and this has taught me to really value my time with the people that I love. I have found that making time for the people who matter most in my life is far more self fulfilling than getting any ole' Christmas present.

I firmly believe that putting emphasis on things that are spiritually fulfilling can lead to true happiness. Christmas is not about receiving gifts. it is about simple traditions like putting up the tree, hanging up the lights, and dare I say, listening to lots and lots of christmas music. Most of all, it is about spending the holidays with the people who matter most. Life is so short, and we only have to much time to spend with everybody, and Christmas has served as a reminder for me to cherish all of the important people in my life, and to make most of all of the precious time that I get to spend with them.