Christmas is a time for many things... including indulging in some consumerist dream land, in which we create a Christmas list, and all of those things come true, and end up - somehow - in our hands the morning of.
however. i grew up in a home where Christmas meant traditions with family, and time spent together. it means 20+ person dinners, and movies with cousins. it meant dress clothes, and long trips to grandmas. it meant afternoons spent serving Christmas dinner/lunch to people who had to come to a special building to get it free. it meant fighting (hey, at least i'm honest!) and stress, made up for in mom's baking, and dad's video taping every single moment of Christmas spirit. gifts were never ever the focus of the holiday.
and, while i'm NOT so happy that my bug eyed glasses, and poor grade 9 fashion choices were permanently captured on film, i'm happy that my sisters and i were instilled with a far more important message than THINGS every Christmas. it was about embarrassing one another, in a room, a house, a car, wherever, completely filled to the brim with family love.
so, most Christmases i just pine for things. and i know they'll never happen. but that's the fun thing about wishes - you can wish for the stars, beyond your wildest dreams... and once in a blue moon, those wishes come true.
AND even better? if those wishes don't come true? i get something way more important... i get to wake up every Christmas to my family.
(but hey.... what would Christmas be, without some appreciation for the arts?).
thus begins my week of Christmas wish lists. things that aren't even close to necessities, but are pretty, and wonderful, and happily float around in my brain as, '
if i ever won the lottery and had a few bucks leftover after charity, and family... i may think about picking these goodies up'. and hey. most are by independent artists. some from toronto. and everyone deserves support this time of year.
