'Tis the Season - What's on Your Wish List?

Dear Santa,
Here's my wishlist:
*yoga everyday
*walk-in closet filled with lululemon
*peace & faith for everyone
*a house in Ansley Park
*my own movement studio
*healthy body, healthy spirit
*opportunities to learn & give thanks
*supportive people and environments
*weekly manicures
*mindfulness

(that's a simple sample of my wishes - the rest is too personal to post!)


The weekend before Thanksgiving, The Boyfriend and I drove to East Tennessee to visit my great-grandfather. Holiday music popped up on every other station, especially as we got further into the mountains. Change the channel, too soon for ho-ho-ho. On Thanksgiving Day, as we drove to Alpharetta for a turkey feast, Atlanta's lite rock station 98.5 started to jingle bells too. Change the channel again, too soon to fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-lahhhhhh.

Now I can say 'tis the season - I'm finally listening to holiday music! I even "pre-shopped" yesterday afternoon during my downtime, and I took advantage of those sales at Niketown today. On my drive home tonight, I tried to soak in as much holiday energy as possible - the twinkling lights on the streets, the classic Santa drinking Coca-Cola billboard overlooking the downtown connector, the two lots selling Christmas trees within a mile of each other, and more twinkling lights on my neighbors' balconies.

While showering and thinking about preparing for my long day tomorrow, I was listening to Delilah on 98.5. A listener called describing one Christmas Eve he answered a knock at his front door - he was supposed to be in bed, but he was too excited like all children on that magical night. He opened the door and found Santa Claus! The real Santa with a real beard, who towered above him and asked the boy why he was not in bed. The listener said he raced upstairs as Santa wished, and he remembers that as one of his warmest memories.

Year after year, I remember going to our evening church service on Christmas Eve, then coming home for a warm dinner, eating in the dining room with Mom's china, enjoying chocolate mousse in a wine glass (a way for us kids to feel so fancy and grown up!), then exchanging gifts among my immediate family. After we cleaned up all the wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, bedtime rolled around.

But, for a gal who can still fall asleep way too early, my eyes wouldn't close. My sister and I would sleep together in one of her twin beds, whispering in the dark, wondering if we could hear footsteps on our roof. We never heard the footsteps, somehow we managed to drift off into a sleepy wonderland and wake up to Santa's gifts in the family den in front of the fireplace. What a magical time!

And, as the years have gone by, as our immediate family grew, and in a way grew apart, I've sometimes let the magical season breeze by. My holiday wish list has grown shorter, and sometimes more energy went into holiday parties than my own true meanings of the season. I spent enough holidays working at CNN, and last minute gift buying has taught me a lesson or two about preparing early, setting limits on exchanging gifts, and being happy with the present (figuratively, and well, I suppose literally too!).

I want to slow down this year, I want to browse the stores decorated with holiday gear, I want to feel the energy of people gathering with loved ones to celebrate the season. I want to breathe deeper while sitting idle in Atlanta traffic. I want to wrap gifts early and enjoy the paper's sparkle in my living room before I give them away. I also want to make my own list. A new list of wishful and possible thinking.

Hello, Santa, are you listening?

As my high school English teacher Betty Fleming used to say when students would whine while reading a story, "that's not possible", suspend your disbelief with me for a few minutes. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, take a few moments to imagine Santa as you know him. Or her. Whatever being that gives, that provides, that blesses you. How would you like to receive? What would you like to receive?

Take a few moments to write a wish list. Suspend your disbelief that it will never happen, suspend your disbelief that you don't deserve it. Write a wish list of all the things (concrete and abstract) that you'd like to have. A trip, a new career path, an education, a break from your kids, a weekly class, more faith, more time to stretch your body, a day reading juicy fiction, weekly romantic dates to new restaurants, a new wardrobe, a new home, fresh flowers daily, etc.

Then, re-read your list and imagine waking up one morning having all that granted to you. Feel the joy, feel the excitement. Imagine feeling you deserve all that! Imagine feeling many of your wishes are possible! Knowing there's a reason and season for everything, why not find a way to eventually enjoy your wish list? It'll take some work and honesty about when-where-why-how, but stay mindful and hopeful, and just do it. Perhaps your Santa can visit you throughout 2009 and beyond!

'Tis the season for magic. 'Tis the season for wishing. 'Tis the season for making it happen!