As the holidays draw nigh, we here at ThirdAge decided to share with you what we want for Christmas. Here are our lists. (Santa, we promise we've been very good!)
Myrna Blyth, Editor-in-Chief
What do I want for Christmas? You know that old cliché about “as long as you’ve got your health.” The last time I heard that was on an episode of “Boardwalk Empire” when a particularly vicious gangster was about to shoot the innocent wife of a particularly vicious lead character. But, hey, even a vicious gangster can be right. So what I want for Christmas is that everyone who is near and dear to me will be healthy in the coming year, healthy enough to enjoy life more and not be overwhelmed and depressed by illness and frailty.
Second on my Christmas Wish List is that ThirdAge.com has more and more visitors who want to come to read, learn, and share their thoughts on our Forums. I also want visitors to tell me what they think of the website and what they want on the website to make it their favorite. You can always share your comments and ideas with me at myrna@thirdage.com.
Third, I love to travel and like most ThirdAgers, I'm always hungry for more experiences. So, yes, I want to have at least one trip to one of those places that is on my travel bucket list—Angkor Wat, Bhutan, or Myanmar, for example. I really like the exotic. So, Santa, thank you, but no, I don’t want more stuff unless it is the stuff that reminds me of a new and enriching experience.
Jane Farrell, Senior Editor
An iPad (please, someone pay for the 3G contract, too)
The reprint of Cecil Beaton's scrapbooks
A top of the line midcentury modern coffee table
But what I really want is health insurance for everyone.
Sondra Forsyth, Senior Editor
My mother always said that the most valuable gifts have to do with education and experiences. Now that I'm a ThirdAger, I understand exactly what she meant. I have long since downsized to a smaller apartment so I don't want or have room for items that take up space and that I don't really need. My son and daughter know this so they surprise me with discount coupons for my favorite restaurants, refills on my Starbucks card, and books for my Kindle. Perfect!
I also plan to play Santa to myself by getting tickets to the ballet, opera, and Broadway shows, and admission to museums. I live right here in NYC and I love taking advantage of all the culture the city has to offer.
What I really want for Christmas, though, is donations to my not-for-profit arts-in-education program, Ballet Ambassadors, so we can touch the lives of more young people than ever in the year to come. I do care about loftier causes such as world peace and putting an end to world hunger, but I can't save everyone. What I can do is make the joy of dance a part of the lives of youngsters who would never have the opportunity to see a ballet, let alone dance in one, unless Ballet Ambassadors made that happen for them.
Judy Kirkwood, Forum Director and Contributing Writer
Gifts are always a battle between want and need, practical and desirable.
One son thinks I need an upgrade to my iPod, but that isn’t why I’m not listening to music. It’s because I’m always losing the cord to connect my iPod to my laptop for charging, as well as losing my iPod. So I agreed he could buy me an iPod dock (charger with speakers), and I’ll keep my old basic iPod.
My other son, who has fewer resources for spending, can get me a tire gauge because the tires on my Infiniti, with 186,000 miles on it, are low every few weeks.
One sister already got me a bra at Soma and make-up to disguise the lines around my lips. Another sister got me some red Guerlain lipstick in a beautiful gold metal tube with a flip-top.
My granddaughters gave me gifts at Thanksgiving since I won’t see them at Christmas – a duck ornament for the tree, a nightlight with a teddy bear, and four floating candles. We lit the candles in a mixing bowl of water and then sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 20 times.
The best gifts from friends are pretty greeting cards or books they have read and liked (and are recycling).
But what I really hope for this Christmas is the gift of gratitude: mine, for all I’ve already been given. I am well and happy and there really is nothing else I want or need but the friendship and love of those who have made my life merry all year.
