Something different this year!

I had been sitting on my couch for four hours by then. Almost like a hermit…surrounded by exploding notebooks, a very hot laptop, and way too many syllabuses. Outside my window the clouds were dark and one would think this would give a person the ambition to stay inside and get those papers done, right? WRONG! I needed out.

So, before I could remind myself of all the things that were on my finals to-do list, I grabbed my brand new blue pea coat and keys, and hit the road.

Most of my friends know that I am not really the shopping type. The idea of spending hours trying to find that one perfect Christmas gift is not my idea of fun. But the truth is, with only 14 days of Christmas shopping left and way too much studying to do, I must utilize the time I have. Therefore, I grabbed a chai tea latte, my Christmas list and charged the doors.

But something crazy happened! I walked in…found my gifts…and walked out. No rush, no anxiety, no moody people. It was amazing. The mall was terrific. People were all smiling and getting ready for the upcoming festivities. I could not figure out if it was me or if something had changed.

I think the sad truth is that it has taken me 22 years to finally appreciate the season. I mean I am a gift giver, so by nature I have always slightly freaked out when it comes to the perfect gift. But this year, I realized that most people won’t even remember what I gave them a year from now. But, the smell of the sticky buns floating up the stairs Christmas morning and the screams as we fight over another game of NERTS will stay in my memory for years to come. It won’t be the perfect gift card that I found or the amazing sale item that I snagged, but the incredible conversations I had with my entire family around the fireplace that will mark this season.

As I plopped back down on that cluttered couch that day, I had a little smile on my face. For I was only 2 papers, 2 group projects, and 1 test away from a great break with the family!

Happy Holidays, Shy