holiday wish list was beginning to rival the Congressional Record in length and complexity. And while I'm as eager as any parent to satisfy my child's deepest desires, I began to feel that the act of list making had become an exercise in--I hesitate to use the word in reference to the apple of my eye, but, well--greed. So my husband and I devised a different kind of list, one that we thought truly reflected the holiday spirit: a wish list for the world.
To make your own global wish list, ask each family member to contribute at least one idea that would make the world a better place. (Don't worry if the ideas seem overly optimistic--that's the point.) After you've made your list, choose one (or more) that you can actually help to implement. For example, if your kids want to save the rain forests, you might make a contribution to the Rainforest Action Network; to help end world hunger, you could volunteer at a soup kitchen.
Okay, so you may not save the world, at least not all of it, but you'll be teaching your family a lesson in giving. And I guarantee you'll find your own misplaced holiday spirit in the process.
