Gifted

In years past, the children would be asked to create a Christmas list in October. This served two purposes. One, we had ideas for birthday gifts for Erin. Second, we had ideas for gifts the children would enjoy for Christmas. The idea of offering suggestions for gifts one would enjoy seems okay. Until one scratches gently at the surface. Having considered the annual gift lists, several flaws have emerged that contributed to this year's decision to scrap the annual compilation:

• If you don't know someone well enough to be able to give a reasonable guess about some little something they will enjoy, then you have no business shopping for them.
• Rather than "wishes", the list has taken on a flavor that is suspiciously reminiscent of "demands".
• An expectation of increasingly more expensive gifts has been an unfortunate consequence of the well-intended requests for suggestions.
• An air of "thankfulness" is hard to nurture when we create a state of "expectation" that feeds on itself to breed a beast of Want from October until late December.

I expected to be met with protest on the decree that we would be taking a pass on the annual Wish List this year. Wow. Not only did the kids not howl or whine, they actually articulated similar reasons to my own for why we should dump that particular tradition. I always love my kids, but it is precious to receive the gift of really liking them, too.