From Presents to Presence: How Our Family’s Gift‑Giving Evolved 🎁
4/19/2026
Growing up, the holiday season always began with the same question: What do you want for Christmas? Have you made your list? I remember sitting cross‑legged on the floor with those thick Sears, Montgomery Ward, and Macy’s catalogs—page after page of toys, clothes, and treasures waiting to be circled in bright marker.
When my own kids were little, those giant catalogs had disappeared, replaced by thin Amazon and Target holiday books. Every Thanksgiving, they’d sit at the counter flipping through pages, excitedly pointing out Barbie Dream-houses, dolls, Nerf guns, trucks, cars—anything and everything that caught their eye. As they got older, the lists grew shorter but far more expensive: Xboxes, cell phones, computers. We avoided those big‑ticket items for as long as we could.
Then COVID happened, and everything changed.
Suddenly I was working from home, two kids were learning remotely, and my husband—an essential worker—was leaving the house every day. He’d come home, head straight to the shower, and wash his clothes immediately. Meanwhile, I was juggling a middle schooler and a second grader with one home computer. I had my work laptop set up in a makeshift dining‑room office, and using the guest room wasn’t an option because my son needed constant supervision.
After two weeks, it became painfully clear: we needed another computer. Sharing wasn’t working, and I couldn’t hand over my laptop while attending virtual CSE meetings all day. This realization hit right as our daughter’s 16th birthday approached. Her party was cancelled. Our Disney vacation was cancelled. So the computer became her gift.
That was the beginning of the “bigger gifts.” But once life returned to something resembling normal, something in us shifted. The number of presents under the tree shrank. Birthday gifts faded away. And slowly, gifts turned into experiences.
Our son had dreamed for years about building a droid at Disney’s Droid Depot. Yes, the droid itself was the end product—but the real magic was the experience: the immersion in Galaxy’s Edge, the cast member interactions, the feeling of stepping into the Star Wars universe. We made it clear that these experiences were expensive and something he’d need to save for. So his wish lists became beautifully simple: Disney gift cards. Every birthday. Every Christmas. For three years.
He saved enough to build his droid. Then he saved again to build a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop —fitting, since his birthday is May the 4th. He did it not once, but twice. And the best part? When he talks about them, he barely mentions the items themselves. He talks about the story, the cast members, the atmosphere, the feeling of being part of something bigger. The droid rarely comes off the shelf. The lightsaber hangs proudly on his wall. But the memories? Those are priceless.
This year, our daughter graduates high school. When we asked what she wanted as a gift, she simply said she didn’t need anything. For years, we’ve talked about taking a 7‑day cruise but never made it happen. So to celebrate her graduation, we’re finally doing it—seven nights aboard the Disney Treasure, visiting Mexico, Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman. It may be one of the last trips with just the four of us before life shifts again and she begins bringing along a “friend.” (I’m not ready to think about long-term boyfriends, engagements, or weddings.)
People often ask why we keep going back to Disney. And honestly, I could ask the same of others: Why return to the same beach every year? Why camp in the same spot? Why rent the same condo? Travel is personal. Every family has places that feel like home, places where memories root themselves deeply.
For us, that place is Disney—for now. Yes, we want to see the world. Yes, we want new adventures. And those will come. But right now, this is what makes our kids happy. This is what makes us happy. And at the end of the day, the best gifts aren’t the ones wrapped in paper—they’re the ones wrapped in moments we’ll carry forever.
Somewhere along the way, the vacation turns into the gift itself. Whether you love revisiting a cherished spot or you’re eager to explore somewhere new, I’m here to help you create memories that feel truly magical.