What I want for Christmas:

There are a lot of things I'd like to find wrapped under the tree on Christmas morning: the pair of wellingtons I told my Mom about, or maybe a new book or pair of blue jeans. But those are just silly in comparison to the things that I really want.

Here is my own Grown-up Christmas List:

I wish that everyone could find a way to put Christ back into Christmas. For everyone. I wish everyone would remember his birthday, and I wish so desperately that everyone would be willing to do something to make his birthday special for him.

There is someone who I love dearly, who I have never heard bear their testimony. I used to pray every year, I told Heavenly Father that I'd happily give up other things if I could just know that this particular person really believed the beautiful truths of the Gospel. I'm still waiting for that prayer to be answered. I'm still willing to give up the same things for it.

There is someone else, someone else I care for deeply, who needs an 'aha moment.' (Yes, some of you are smiling and/or rolling your eyes because you know what that means.) I'd cry from sheer joy if they had that moment, and then did something about it. My little heart aches at even the thought.

I wish that all of 'my girls' will feel the Spirit of Christ in their lives this weekend. I hope they'll all be surrounded by family members who love them, and that person who they so carefully selected a gift for, I hope they'll get to relish the look on their face as they open the gift she wrapped for them. I hope a few of them get caught under the mistletoe, and I hope that all of their grown up worries are wiped away for a few days.

There are a few other people, who are worried and stressed and tired. People who have sorrow in their lives, people who I care for more than I can express. I wish that I could give them the answers they are looking for. I wish I could wipe away some of their cares and concerns.

And this one is impossible, but I really wish that I could be in two places at once this weekend. I wish I could roll my eyes at my Mom as she makes us march up the stairs in height order on Christmas morning, and watch the look on her face as everyone discovers with delight the goodies that have been so carefully placed in their stockings. I'm glad I'll be able to watch the grin on my Dad's face as his kids open their carefully wrapped presents, but oh how I'll miss my white Utah Christmas!