
Year after year, Noah asks for the same gifts, and year after year, we have provided exactly what is on his list. In previous years, I would brush over with friends and family what he was getting; it was just easier. This year something struck me; I don’t care if we get him an “age-appropriate” gift; I want him to have a Noah-appropriate gift. What does that mean? It means that for our son, the gifts that make him happy are appropriate for him. If they happen to be suitable for his age, well, that is a bonus. I am working on not allowing the guilt to wash over me for the values others place on our son. How many adults play video games, are in softball leagues, or do other things that technically are not age appropriate? And who the heck defines age appropriateness anyway? The gifts that Noah requests are his favorite things in the world. They make his day brighter, and we will do everything we can to provide them for him. So, this year on Christmas, I will give an age-appropriate gift of compassion and self-forgiveness. I will not carry the weight of self-judgment for another year. I still plan on singing the clue song from Blue’s Clues and talking to him about things that are important to him because, after all, that is Noah-appropriate. We can now make the crayons have cobbled together templates for the pages because they have long quit making notebooks, and finding them is next to impossible. Caregivers, parents, and grandparents are all doing the best we can at the moment that is provided! Have a Merry Christmas 🎁🎅🎄.