Day 311 – A Year of Gratitude and Joy – Christmas Catalogs

One of my favorite childhood memories was the arrival of the big Christmas catalogs. My sisters and I would sit for hours perusing those advertising tomes with a pad of paper and pencil listing out everything we hoped to get. My parents loved it, too. We stayed quiet and busy for days; and they had a LONG list of things guaranteed to make us smile. The bonus for us was we had no idea what would be under the tree from that list, but we knew it would be a coveted gift, so anticipation was always high.

When my kids were young, the catalog had lost a little of its appeal. The giant Christmas edition was pared down to just a toy version, but it was still captivating enough to earn me a day of solitude while I encouraged my son and daughter to write their own lists. 

These days, I’ve coerced my grandkids into creating their own lists for me, but today’s version is digital. Dreaming big, my now teenage grandson has his sights on tech stuff to fill his new bedroom. For me, the best part is the occasional online chat as he adds items and points them out. 

Yesterday’s mail, though, reminded me that these seasonal catalogs aren’t just for kids. My stack nearly doubled in size when Greg came home from the mailbox. He asked if he should just throw them away and I nearly fainted (no, not really!). I LOVE scanning these glossy pages for unique and interesting ideas I’d never even notice in a store.

Honestly, I rarely order from them anymore. As an Amazon Prime shopper the idea of paying for shipping makes me balk most of the time. But every now and then something appears on one of these pages that is too much fun to resist. I’ve already dogeared a page or two that are this year’s contenders. 

I’m a big believer in dreams and Christmas catalogs are the physical manifestations of dreams. They are filled with possibilities and indulgences and ideas. I’m so grateful companies still mail them and filled with joy as I flip the pages.

There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. Find a new dream in a Christmas catalog.

© The World A to Z, LLC 2022 — Unless otherwise indicated, no compensation was received for this blog.