I am a huge gift person. I love getting gifts for my friends to let them know that I was thinking about them. My favorite memories from my teenage years were the random trips to Borders and Barnes & Noble with my parents. I was one of those kids who had my Christmas list separated into categories. I would separate my gifts by store and give my parents a total at the end of each category. My mom said she appreciated it because it made it easier for her. I think she just wanted me not to feel bad about spending an entire weekend on my Christmas list. 

My oldest sister had everyone take the Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman test. The concept of the Five Love Languages is the idea that there are five different ways people show and receive love from their loved ones. Everyone has at least one love language. The five languages are words of affirmation, quality time, gift-giving, acts of service, and physical touch. I was upset when I received gift-giving as a result. It made me think that I was a materialistic person, and it made me mad that I only cared about what people could buy for me. This couldn’t be more wrong. It’s not necessarily the price of the gift, but the thought behind it. I spend months searching for the right gifts for people I care about. I have even started a new tradition with my best friend where I buy her a gift a few weeks before Christmas in order to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. This year I feel like my anxiety is through the roof when it comes to finding the perfect gift for my loved ones. I keep thinking that they will hate whatever gifts I get them.  

This has never happened to me, at least not to my face. I know my loved ones will appreciate whatever I get them, but I keep stressing out about it. Gifts aren’t about the price tag. It’s about the memories and thought behind them. This has been a crazy year so I think we could all use a little extra Christmas. Don’t be afraid to get creative to make Christmas last a little longer. You can take the love language quiz here if you are curious about how your loved ones best receive love. It could help you come up with ideas to make this the best Christmas ever.