clementine | Remember the important things this holiday season

Mirrored from Oh Clementine. You can leave any comments there.

When I was younger, Christmas was all about me and what I was getting. In the past few years, it's stopped being so exciting. Honestly, now it's more about buying presents for my cousins¹ and seeing their excitement. This year, it goes a little further than that.

My cousin is seven years old and in grade one. She has a friend whose mother hasn't been able to provide her with the basic necessities. She's been living with my cousin and her parents for the past week and probably will for awhile (maybe even permanently).

Now, you have to understand that this little girl is thrilled to have her own room with her own bed at my aunt and uncle's house. She's been sleeping on the sofa, which is in the living room, which is where her mother parties all night long. She usually starts the school year without the proper school supplies. Her snowsuit doesn't fit her – in Canada! You kind of need a proper snowsuit when it actually, you know, snows with some frequency. I can't imagine how she's going to feel when she gets to open presents on Christmas day.

Up until now, I haven't given it much thought. I've had the basics and I've had the luxuries, and I've taken it all for granted, and here is a small girl who's just happy to have her own bed. But, you know, the awesome thing about having these luxuries is that I have this platform called a blog, so I can share this story with you.

My mother and I are going shopping for my cousins soon, and we're of course going to buy this little girl a present too. I'm really excited to buy something for her, and even more excited to meet her. I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and I'm glad to be reminded about what's really important. At this time of year, it's easy to get caught up in the stress. It's easy to worry about your presents and worry about getting all your shopping done and worry about things that just aren't that important. Maybe this sounds preachy, and I know how annoying that is, but try to remember what really is important.

who are 4, 6, and 7 [↩]