I Want...

As soon as Christmas advertising became apparent on television, this is a phrase we heard alot in our house.  "I want...I want...I want..."  It didn't take long for us to ban it (accompanied by an 'eloquent' explanation of the wonderful things they already have and that it is the season of thinking of others and, of course, the real reason for the season - Jesus'  birth.  However, they ARE still kids, only now the phrases we go with are, "I like that" or "That looks cool." 

This is also one of the reasons we looked into sponsering a family this year...in order to help the kids realize that it is a time to think of others and that not everyone else is as blessed as us.  So, Saturday night we all shopped together for the 3 kids in the family we are buying for.  I do a lot of Christmas shopping alone, so the kids have not been gazing in toy aisles for a while.  I thought for sure we'd be hearing tons of "I wants" or "I wishes."  I can honestly say I didn't hear it once.  The kids were focused on choosing gifts FOR the kids based on what we knew about them.  We were sincerely proud of them.  (Until we apparently pushed them too late and all of the sudden their legs couldn't support their body weight, their mouths were "as dry as the desert" and Will was sweating.)  But we did it.

So while our kids will receive this year and probably love every minute of it, hopefully we are at least planting a seed that allows them to love that incomparable feeling of giving even more.