Every December, children craft holiday wish lists with painstaking care, circling toys, gadgets and “must-have” gifts as if their futures depended on it. But when the wrapping paper is gone, what do they actually remember?

A viral Instagram video is bringing that question into focus. In it, Andrea Dahms, a mother of two in Southern California, asks her 13-year-old daughter, Brinley, to name three things she received last Christmas. Brinley hesitates, struggles, and finally gives up.

But when Dahms, 43, pivots to another question, about where they went on their family vacation, the answer comes instantly — Lake Tahoe! Dahms says its proof that experiences, not things, leave the deepest mark.

The reel resonated with thousands of viewers, sparking a lively conversation. Many shared stories

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