My Grown-up Christmas List

A few days ago, my husband asked me what I want for Christmas this year. I didn’t have a ready answer then so I said I’d get back to him. I revisited my old blog post about  My 5-point Christmas Wish List. So I asked myself, “What do I WANT? What do I NEED? Anything I want to WEAR? To READ? To EXPERIENCE during the holidays?”

I was stumped. I couldn’t think of anything I want or need for now. As an aspiring minimalist, I’ve been trying my best to avoid unnecessary shopping and acquiring of things.

So, how do I come up with a wish list? By asking myself, “What do I want to DO or EXPERIENCE during the coming Christmas season?”

I WANT TO CAPTURE THE SMALL MOMENTS, TOO.

At the end of every Christmas vacation, I usually end up with lots of little presents, lots of delicious food (a couple of unwanted extra pounds) and lots of photos taken at all the big, loud and colorful gatherings with extended family and with various groups of friends. After the holiday trip, I leave Manila and come back to Singapore full of gratitude for all the wonderful reunions, the favorite foods, and the thoughtful gifts. But I also come back quite tired from a busy vacation, and I wonder why I don’t have mementos of the quieter, more personal moments.

This time, I’d want a few more photos — not of the big gatherings but of the small things: a photo of just my mother and me, perhaps while catching up at the dining table and sharing some bibingka; maybe a photo with my father outside our neighborhood church just before we walk back home from Sunday mass; a photo of my kids and their Nana (their former yaya /nanny) as they buy sorbetes or fish ball from the vendor; a photo with my husband while we’re enjoying grilled ensaymada at a favorite café.

I WANT TO SPREAD THE GIVING.

I know this may sound self-serving, but it would make me feel great to give and receive gifts that give back, gifts that share the goodness and the spirit of the season.   There are many opportunities to share gifts that support charities and advocacies, gifts that support local businesses and startups, gifts that enable disadvantaged people to earn a decent living, gifts that are kind to the environment:

• Gift items and greeting cards from or donations to organizations like UNICEF Philippines, World Wildlife Fund, CARA Welfare Philippines, Save our Shelter Dogs Singapore
• Gifts from companies like Human Nature, Rags2Riches, Sesou Nature Source, Sip PH, Papa Diddi’s Handcrafted Ice Cream, Bebebalm.
• Gifts from your friendly neighborhood “lemonade stands” – friends and neighbors that sell home-baked or home-cooked goodies (such as MyMom’sKitchenPh), handmade gifts and crafts, etc.
• Art, books, music, etc. from indie artists, writers, publishers, musicians, and other makers (such as those made by my friends Kara Leonardia, Carpe Diem Chronicles by Maida Malby, Fobolous by Rainne Mendoza)

This is my grown-up Christmas list: sentiment and sharing. My wish is to collect and capture more of the small and honest moments with my family and friends. My wish is to keep learning generosity and charity, to give more thoughtfully and meaningfully.

Having said all that, of course, I still expect that my husband and I will exchange some material or tangible gifts for Christmas. And I did promise to give him an answer to his question. So I recently told him, “I would love to have some taho.”