[Preface: Each and every year as a child I would write a letter, address it to you, and, as eagerly and excitedly as possible, I’d send it off to the North Pole. Since entering adulthood, I have not been as faithful. Last year was the first year I truly spent time thinking about what I really wanted for my life, so I grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper and composed my very first adult Christmas List to you, St. Nick. Of course my list last year was drastically different compared to that written by my five-year old self. Back then I wished for plastic dolls, Easy Bake ovens, dress up clothes and pretend makeup: you know… the silly things that to anyone other than a child seem ridiculous. Last year I remember asking you for a trip home to Tennessee so I wasn’t forced to spend the holidays alone. From there I asked for a handsome, kind man with whom to spend Christmas Day if all the departing flights out of Denver were booked and a trip home was impossible. I may or may not have even squeezed in a request for a tropical vacation, a life-long supply of toothpaste and floss, and possibly a new wardrobe and/or marriage proposal from Mr. Tim Tebow. But understandably, those were just minuscule details that I am sure went accidently overlooked. I’ve have found it in my heart to forgive, forget, and move on from the unanswered Christmas List of 2011. And, that is what brings me to this list: the Christmas List of 2012.]
My
Christmas List:
1.
I wish for my entire family
to be together on Christmas Day in Tennessee like we always were growing up:
laughing till our faces hurt, eating till our bellies are full, and loving each
other in the way only a family can.
2.
Again, I wish for a
handsome, kind man who will love me and will forever receive all the love I
have to give him. Put a big red bow on him, if you insist.
3.
I wish for an Airstream or
VW Bus so I can easily take adventures whenever the nerve strikes me.
4.
I wish for two plane
tickets to South Africa in June 2014. Along with that, I ask for a two-week
all-inclusive resort stay, a paid Safari, all immunizations to get into and out
of the continent, and a shield of safety from any and all diseases and wild
animals.
5.
I wish that money wasn’t a
problem for me, my family, my friends, and this world. So, if you could make it
snow Benjamins, that would be
spectacular.
6.
I wish for an unlimited
shopping spree for eight hours through either Forever 21 or Rue 21. Your pick.
7.
I still wish for a
life-long supply of free toothpaste, floss, Crest White Strips, and new
toothbrushes (preferably pink in color).
8.
I wish that my face will be
on a billboard. It doesn’t matter in what city, state, country, or continent. I
just want a billboard. For anything. Anywhere.
9.
I wish that throughout this busy season,
everyone chooses to live each day to the fullest and not forget that any day
could be his or her last day on this earth. I wish that we don’t overlook what
is right in front of us as we are preparing for a huge feast and a day of
opening presents that won’t take place till weeks ahead.
10.
I wish for a real home in
2013. A place I don’t ever want to abandon. A place that feels like “home” when
I come back to it after a trip or a long day at work. A place that is mine. Not a
room that I am renting. Not a couch in a friend’s living room. Not a basement
that is underneath three other people. I don’t need a big, fancy mansion. I
just need a home. At this point I don’t even have a city preference. All I need
is for it to feel like my home.
Thanks, Santa. Be safe out there and enjoy all of the spiked eggnog and cookies this Christmas Eve.
With all my love,
Erin Ritter
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