Merry Christmas! Here's Some Money

Christmas is going to be different this year. We have three kids in college and for the first time since 2006 we're all going to be together. The girls will graduate in May (fingers crossed) and are busy plotting the next exciting chapters in their lives. My stepson just finished his first semester. He had a great time spent every bit of his graduation money (over $1200) on Starbucks, pizza, movies, concerts, football games and shopping and will arrive here with empty pockets.

Next year their visits won't be dictated by school schedules. The girls will have jobs (fingers crossed again) and therefore little vacation time. At some point we won't be the destination of choice for spring breaks. There will surely be other distractions and additions like boyfriends/husbands, girlfriends/wives who will become part of our celebrations.

Yes, this may be the last Christmas where the five of us are together as a family for a long time. 

Christmas is going to be different this year for another reason too. When asked what they wanted for Christmas each and every kid said "Just give me money."

It was then that my husband and I realized we've reached a turning point in our lives. While Christmas used to be like a scavenger hunt, now shopping is a non-event. Gone are the days of hunting down the all-important and elusive Cabbage Patch Doll, XBox or putting together Barbie dream homes and bikes until the wee hours. Gone are the days of Christmas past and Christmas present isn't a present at all -- it's cold, hard cash.

I don't know, It just doesn't seem right if on Christmas morning all we do is hand them each an envelope and say "Merry Christmas! Here's some money," pass the mimosas. Where's the joy in seeing their faces as they open their presents? Where are the memories of dragging the new bike outside in the snow to ride it for the first time? Watching them stuff the check into their pocket isn't exactly a Kodak moment so we decided that we wouldn't honor their request.

There will still be checks but we're just not ready to give up shopping for special things and the fun of watching them open their presents. That's what we tell ourselves anyway. It's how we make it easier to handle the real reason Christmas will be different this year: Our children have grown up.

I guess Santa Claus will just have to go into retirement until we have grandchildren.

This is an original 50-Something Moms post. When she's not Christmas shopping or writing checks Lollie also blogs on Philly Moms.