As we near the end of 2025, many of us will evaluate the year that was. There will be wins and losses, both personally and professionally. Perhaps you were able to purchase something you’ve wanted for awhile or maybe you saved or invested that money instead. Regardless of what took place, there are inevitably financial ups and downs that took place. Before we can put a bow on the year, we have one more financial stressor to get through: the holidays.
Think back to when you were a child. The holidays were a special time of year. Items once found on the pages of the JC Penney or Sears catalog magically came to life in your hands. Dreams were fulfilled, hopes were dashed. The youthful feeling of euphoria, pure joy and ultimate contentment is hard to replicate in our jaded adult minds.
Or is it?
My ten year old daughter and I recently put up our Christmas decorations, both inside and out. The whole process took several hours and more than one trip to the hardware store for supplies and reinforcements. The additional money spent aside, I was able to experience something through her eyes this year that I had missed the year before.
What looked like a broken snowman figurine to me was a happy memory for her. The snowman had a name (Mr. Snowy), a backstory and a reason for his misfortune. Due to the fragility of Christmas decorations, Mr. Snowy wasn’t the only casualty. As we sifted through the boxes and placed items in their usual places, her happiness continued to burst forth with each ornament, wreath and figurine we’d come across.
All of these items had to be purchased at one time or another, that’s for certain. None of them had been bought recently and all had a nostalgia that something new wouldn’t be able to replicate. This is especially true for the ornaments she and her sister created in daycare and preschool. Frail and imperfect, they held the most sentimental value and were placed on the tree with extreme care.
For her, the memories all of these items hold are priceless, building upon what I hope will continue to be a happy childhood.
As adults, our minds continually shift to the next thing. If you’re a parent, providing for your kids becomes the most important aspect of your life. Giving them more than you had growing up is an internal battle cry, driving you forward and impacting your daily decisions. What if giving them more has nothing to do with money?
The childlike feeling of euphoria exists in all of us, we simply need to tap into it. There’s a reason many adults turn to drugs and alcohol to provide them with a temporary feeling of happiness. They’re searching for the joy that had once flowed freely but now has difficulty breaking through all the stresses, cuts and bruises that invade our adult minds.
It’s pretty obvious by now that I view the season through the eyes of my children. Your experience may be different. Whether it’s taking that first sip of eggnog or spinning your grandma’s Johnny Mathis record, the childlike happiness you once felt is out there. You just need to open your heart and mind to experiencing it once again.
Unfortunately for you Mr. Snowy is spoken for.
You’ll have to make your own memories.
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