Normally, I´d ask for a BMW, but this year I’ve run the numbers and reconsidered. 

You might be like the median American family and have only $6,400 in savings. It  seems like a shiny new car could really sink the family bank account. 

While there are a lot of things I would like for Christmas this year I have decided that I’m not going to ask for too much, instead just one thing: time together as a family. (OK, maybe that’s not entirely true. I also want  an Apple pencil.)  It is something that I will use all the time and bring me joy. And considering what other teens are asking for I think this is pretty reasonable.

While some other teens might be okay with their parents’ racking up debt (or not even considering it) to make their wishes come true, I’m not. I understand that times are hard, and I don’t expect to keep up Granite Bay “standards” I admire and appreciate everything you have done for me.

I would rather spend time with you than for you to be working on Christmas morning.

Growing up I never asked for much for Christmas, but as I aged, I started to compare what I got to what my friends and cousins got. It started to become a competition to see who had the best present, and who had the most expensive present. But at the end of the day, no one was happy. This is when I began to see the truth.  Now that I’m almost an adult and this is my last Christmas as a ¨kid,¨ I look at everything differently. 

The best Christmas I had growing up was when all my siblings were together in one place. Over the years I don’t remember what I got and, at the time, I knew I was happy but now all I remember was the moments and traditions we created.  We always made hot chocolate and walked to the park, which is my favorite part. We would later watch ¨Family Man¨ which, yes, I know is not a traditional Christmas movie but we still watch it every year because it is my dad’s favorite. 

Looking back at Christmas, how I  used to compare presents with everyone makes me regretful, but it also makes me appreciate Christmas more so families can just spend time together.

Sincerely,  

Your open book child