What I Want For Christmas (11-26-07)

With Thanksgiving officially over and the Christmas season officially begun, I find myself once again faced with a quandary: what do I want for Christmas?

It happens every year. All year long, I see things, or think of things that would make a great Christmas gift. I vow to write these things down, to make a list, to be prepared for the inevitable inquiry of my wants and desires. Of course, though, I never do. So when the phone call comes or the email appears, faced with the simple task of relating what I want for Christmas, I almost always give the same answer, “I don’t know. Maybe a necktie or a sweater.”

Of course, this is a good problem to have. My inability to ever think of something suitable (and affordable) for those wishing to purchase me a gift is a result of all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me in my life. I mean what can you get the guy who has everything?

Okay, so actually I don’t have everything, or really much of anything, but my needs pretty well match my wants leaving me mostly content.

So instead of focusing on material gifts, I have decided that for this Christmas I will focus on some greater Christmas wishes.

First, what I want for Christmas is lots and lots of snow. With as little precipitation we’ve had in the last couple of months, I hope this is a white Christmas, a white New Years, and a white Valentines. I want all this moisture to lead to great crops, all sold at a fair and profitable price.

Second, what I want for Christmas is for the people of this town, especially the children, to get healthy. Our schools has seen enough strep throat, flu, colds, and other ailments to last all year, and it isn’t even December yet. You know, I would settle for just one day of perfect attendance, one day where no one has to go to the doctor, or stay home in bed, miserable and ill. What I want for Christmas is good health for everyone.

Hey, I never said that this Christmas list would be realistic.

Third, what I want for Christmas is for everyone to get along. Again, I would settle for one day in the next month without a single ugly word spoken, without a single argument or disagreement, without trouble or tension of any kind. I want one day where both kids and adults alike put aside their differences and show a little of that ol’ Christmas spirit towards each other. For Christmas, I want a day without tears or anger or humiliation or fear.

Finally, what I want for Christmas is for the war to miraculously come to an end. This is not a political statement, as I am not using this space to advocate any particular strategy or ideology concerning the war. My Christmas wish is more along the lines of wishing for “peace on Earth and good will towards men.” To put it another way, what I really want for Christmas is ALL wars to come to an end, but I would settle for the war our brave soldiers are fighting right now. I would settle for our local families, currently divided by duty and patriotism, to be reunited for Christmas. As an educator I have witnessed first hand what this war has done to children and to their families. So unrealistic as it is, what I want for Christmas is for the war to be over and for our troops to return to their families who need them now more that ever.

Of course, there’s always that Christmas necktie or Christmas sweater. It’s not quite peace on Earth, but at least it reminds the wearer of how much they are loved and it tells those who gave the gift how much their gift was appreciated. All in all, love and appreciation always make great Christmas gifts.