What I Really Want for Christmas (a mom’s list)
For weeks now my kids have been asking me what I want for Christmas. And I have said the thing that I am supposed to say, that I always say – I don’t need anything. I just want all of my children to be happy and healthy. It’s true. I don’t need anything. And I do want my children to be happy and healthy. But they are good children, so no matter how often I say that I really don’t need anything, they will pool their money and buy me a new bathrobe or nightgown, or a maybe well-intentioned kitchen gadget. And I’ll be grateful because I know they are buying me presents because they love me and want to show me that they care.
But here’s the thing. I’m lying. I don’t just want healthy happy kids. Sure that’s the most important thing, but there are a few things that I desperately want. I want ’em real bad. Perhaps it’s not too late to give my family my real Christmas list…
- I want everyone to lick or wipe the peanut butter off the spoon before dropping it in the sink. Better yet, lick it off and drop it in the dishwasher.
- I want to never hear the words. SHOTGUN! again.
- I want to never open the cabinet and find a box with approximately two tablespoons of cereal left in it.
- I want a vehicle free of dead french fries and straw wrappers.
- I want all the socks in whole world (or at least in my house) to find and keep their forever mate.
- I want counter tops free from crumbs.
- I want well-fed dogs and chickens and livestock. And I want to eliminate the phrase Did you feed the…. from my vocabulary.
- I want to stop pretending that the little flecks of green in the pasta are seasonings. It’s spinach, ya’ll. Okay. It’s spinach. It has always been spinach.
- I want to sit down with my coffee or my computer or my book for more than five minutes at time before someone says, “Hey Mamma! Will you…”
- I want to always be able to find a pen. And my scissors. And the duck tape. Seriously. Who keeps running off with the duck tape?
- I want to stop repeating myself.
- I want to stop repeating myself.
- I want a TV show that comes on during primetime that I can watch with my whole family and that does not involve wildlife or people wearing cammo – and that will not be interrupted by commercials for tampons, Viagra, or Victoria’s Secret.
- I want to learn how to use the television remote control, and I want the kids to forget how to use the television remote control.
- I want, just now and then, to arrive at church with a relaxed, well-dressed family at least 15 minutes early.
- I want to pray more as a family.
- I want to play more as a family.
- I want to sit down to dinner more often.
- I want to cook from scratch, and I want someone else to clean the kitchen.
- I want more nights at home with my family and fewer nights all going in different directions.
- I want to slow down time.
Obviously, some of the things on my list are within my family’s power to give me and some are not. But in the end, I know I will get bathrobe or a nightgown or a kitchen gadget. And that’s okay. Because even though whatever I get might not come with a life-time supply of spotless kitchens or perfectly matched socks, it will come with love. And I really could use a new bathrobe.

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