Christmas shopping has probably gotten the best of you at this point. Radio stations feature advertisements who have a demographic of “last-minute shoppers”. Crowded department stores, lack of parking spots and sold out gifts are all in the mix. It’s stressful to shop for the perfect gift when everyone else has the same intention. This Christmas, I was one of those “last-minute shoppers” that Kiss 107.9 wishes good luck to on Christmas Eve. I normally wouldn't be doing my Christmas shopping last minute, but it just came so quickly. I have no idea where December went! Now that Christmas is over, I can look back with a clear view to see what NOT to do next year.
As a kid, I would always make Christmas lists. I even made one this year. The main difference between the two was length. Ten year old me would have fifty-seven items on it whereas eighteen year old me only has five. There are definitely things I wanted this year but I think as we get older, we either go in one of two directions: we get more materialistic or less. We either keep that mile long list of the newest everything or we shorten it and really think about what we want and what we will use. It sounds very cliché to say this but it really is all about the people you get to be with during the holidays. Picture this; you get your dream car, whatever that may be. For me, it’s a white Range Rover. You have a brand new car right in your driveway, keys on the windshield. But, you have no family around to celebrate Christmas with you. You have a car. But suddenly, that doesn't matter as much. I would much rather have my family to celebrate Christmas with instead of a Range Rover. Sure, both would be fantastic but this hypothetical choice should bring to light what’s truly important.
By no means am I saying boycott gifts. Next Christmas, I’m going to simplify gifts by giving one thoughtful gift for each person. I will also be starting the shopping a bit earlier. This Christmas was great despite the running around the few days before, but it could have been even better with a little more planning. I just hope everyone liked their gifts and had a wonderful time with family and friends these past few days! Next up, 2017!!
