The Gifts of Christmas Past
Were they really clues about the life you now lead?
As a kid, the day after Christmas was always pretty awesome. There would be plenty of holiday cookies, and candy left over (Candy Cane full of M&M’s for breakfast, anyone?), no relatives to visit or guests coming over, no school, and the house would be dormant in its post-holiday recovery phase.
The only agenda item was to dive into the presents, still under the tree but now sitting neatly in their boxes, waiting to be played with or worn.
One of my oldest memories of the day after Christmas is the year I was in first grade. I woke up remembering that I was now the owner of my very own typewriter. With this in mind, I popped out of bed while the rest of the house slept and went to my dad’s den in the basement. There, I grabbed some typewriter paper and got to work on my new Petite Super Junior Typewriter. No Easy Bake Ovens or dolls for this cat; I had a business to set up and memos to get out.
This gift was a glimpse into my future, showing me that my dream of being a writer has always been part of the grand plan.
That notion gives me chills.
This made me realize that so many gifts we wanted as kids were clues to understanding who we’d become and what we’d do as adults.
Is this true for you?
Think about your top five favorite gifts of all time.
Would you ask for the adult versions of those today?
For example, as an adult, I’d gladly take any one of the gifts I received one fantastic Christmas:
A t-shirt with my picture and name - I remember thinking, “Now the whole world will see how to spell my name correctly.” (AbbEy) Maybe I wouldn’t wear a t-shirt with my name and pic on it today, but what I liked about the shirt was that it was unique and felt like me. That’s my #1 clothing requirement today.
A yellow ski vest - nobody I knew had a yellow ski vest, which is precisely why I liked it. Imagine my delight when I found a replica at Target last year. Again, not seeing a lot of other yellow vests in the world.
My all-time favorite gift - a maroon Omni ten-speed that I got the year we Wisconsinites enjoyed a 55-degree Xmas. In third grade, most of my friends still had banana seats or Huffy dirt bikes. Getting a ten-speed was groundbreaking and a bit of a challenge. (See pic; I’m barely taller than the bike.) Today, I am all about early adapting and trying out any new fitness or sports equipment.
And you had to know it was coming.
All of this leads me to…
What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week.
I’ve got some questions for you:
What clues from your past do you see trickling into your Christmas,
your life,
and your New Year Goals?
Have you thought about it?
Maybe that’s something to noodle a bit between Christmas and New Year’s.
How have the gifts (and ghosts) of Christmas past shaped your today?
And your tomorrows?
I’d love it if you’d share any epic gifts of the past that were actually signs of things to come!
Leave a comment or send me a message.
With that, let’s get on with things.
Whether you’re back at work, cozied up in PJs by the fire, traveling the world, or at your kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee… I wish you the best.
Be sure to take some time to relax over the next few days.
You deserve it.
I can’t wait to see you all back next year, but before I sign off for 2024, I want to say thank you for reading & sharing this newsletter.
It means more than you know.
To show my appreciation (and because it’s Christmas time), I’ve lifted the paywall on the links for this post.
If you haven’t signed up to receive weekly updates, please do so by clicking on the link below. (Free and paid plans are available; choose what works best for you.)
Either way, I’d love to have you along for the ride.
I’ve got great things planned for 2025.
XO,
Abbey
P.S. Did you think I’d leave you without any links? Not a ton, but a few to start a couple of holiday wormholes:
Starting with a reminder… don’t forget to CYI for the IRS. Your CPA will thank you. Do these things before 2024 ends to prep for Uncle Sam.
How to Survive the Limbo between Xmas and NY. One way to do this is by organizing and resetting your life for 2025 - in a week. Here’s how.
Maybe you’re more into visualizing. In that case, check out How to Make a Vision Board that Works.
If you have any pennies left after Xmas, check out these end of year sales or these “Black Friday in December” deals. And if all of that doesn’t cut it, here;s a random list of final sales for 2024 from the folks at Pay Pal Honey.
AND…
That’s a wrap!
Abbey
