The winter holiday season is a big deal for me.

Fun ornaments

This morning I am surfing the universe of retail luxuries in search of gift ideas that will be memorable, exciting, appreciated, worthy, nurturing, and result in wide eyes and delighted exclamations on a certain upcoming winter morning. The shopping is part of my piece of the fun, and there’s no particular stress in it for me; giving from a place of love to someone who receives with love as well is a marvelous experience whether it is something practical, or something utterly unnecessary. 

Expensive isn’t a requirement; I’m not trying to impress anyone, I’m just saying “I love you” with a gift. Relevant is nice; I like gifts to meet a need, or fulfill a passion, or show some specific sort of affection or appreciation. I like a gift to say “I see you, and I enjoy this quality about who you are.” The shopping is an exciting way to explore my understanding of someone I care about, as well as the shared experience we have of who we are together, as it brings my focus to first one, then another particular detail.

Books, jewelry, toys, games, clothes, event tickets, collectibles, hobby related bits and pieces, lifestyle upgrades, something fun, something serious, something that smells good, something that feels good, something colorful, something rare, something out of the everyday experience… the choices are vast. I still make a wish list of my own, every year, and in my head I start it off with ‘Dear Santa…’, even though I’m now ‘far too grown up’ for that. lol. I hope I never lose my sense of wonder and child-like delight with gifting traditions.

So here I sit considering gifts on a winter morning… and thinking about childhood letters to Santa Claus. Maybe I’m not so grown up, after all? 😀

Dear Santa… I’ve been pretty good this year. Better than ever, I promise. Please give everyone in the whole wide world something to smile about this year. If you have time and resources left over from that, I’ve got a list…but I’ll be just as happy to see the smiles of people I love when they open their gifts from me, as getting anything bigger than that. It’s been a busy year, and I already have a lot of stuff. 🙂  If you’re really sure you want to put more presents under the tree, though, I understand.  My list has lots of stuff on it, and it’s all awesome: paperweights, tea cups, books, earrings, nail polish, yoga gear… just in case you need help choosing something, but you know I just love presents, anyway, so whatever you decide on will be wonderful. I’ll be sure to save some of your favorite cookies for you!  😀