Christmas Lists

It’s apparently that time of year again. The time of year when catalogs that you normally never see work their way into your mailboxes and the child you sent out to collect the mail squeals with delight and scurries off to pore over the pages.

It’s fun to watch. And it brings back memories of the Sears Holiday Catalog arriving in our mailbox. Anyone else remember that thing? A solid inch–maybe two–thick with so many amazing wonders inside!

And yet, as I age and people ask me what they can get me for Christmas, I start drawing blanks. My wants are more likely to be practical — I’m in the market for a good vacuum for hard floors. I want something that has no bristles at all, because it seems to me that even moving slowly, all those sorts do is spit the dirt around rather than sucking it up. I think I’d like a new purse as the couple I have are starting to wear out. But otherwise? I have everything I need.

Surprisingly this year my boys’ lists have been fairly short as well. It’s lovely to see them honing in on the difference between wanting everything to looking for a few select items and being happy with what they have.

Contentment.

I guess I could add that to my wish list as well — for we, who are so abundantly blessed — to experience the deep peace of contentment.