I miss (in no particular order):

• the spying I used to do so that I could surprise my loved ones with exactly what they wanted without having to ask them
• the Excel spreadsheet I would make with thoughtful gift ideas and budget estimates
• coming home and showing off — or trying to hide — the things I bought
• the gift wrapping marathon in front of the TV
• the craziness of the mall (even that!)

But I think I miss most the time I took to actually slow down and think about the people on my list — about what’s important to them, what kinds of new hobbies or interests they may have. I miss knowing that others have spent time thinking about me.

I cannot think of one gift I’ve received that I have really hated  — because each one represents the time someone spent thinking about me and what I might like — even if a few may have missed the mark.

I could still make the list, do the shopping and wrapping and then I’d feel better about Christmas gift giving. But that’s about me — and the spirit of giving is about the other person, isn’t it?

So I guess now its time to order those Amazon gift certifcates, get the Target and iTunes cards and hit the ATM.