Truths: The Christmas Slump

Well, I dropped my parents off at O’Hare Airport today and came home to a messy house – littered with the remains of Christmas: empty boxes, strewn ribbons, game pieces, and a bag of items to return.

All the planning and the gifting is over and all that is left looks like a tornado came through.

The decorations are still staring back at me reminding me that I will need to box them up and say goodbye to the holiday.

And, the poinsettias are reminding me that they need water – not to mention guilting me into keeping them alive as long as possible. I think that once December 26th rolls around they should just shrivel up as though their batteries went dead. I mean even if I succeed at keeping them alive no one wants to look at a poinsettia at Easter time!

There is a sort of slump that hits me around this time. All that adrenalin pumping the last few weeks – the wrapping, the ordering, the decorating, - the excitement that comes from hoping for the best Christmas ever! It is gone. The Christmas enchantment has ended.

And all we are left with is a mess… not to mention my 6 stitches and near broken hand!

I think the fact that New Year’s is only days away is on purpose. I think whoever decided that New Year’s should be the week after Christmas was genius.

See, just when we have this lump in our throats and this dismay the holiday is over we are presented with a celebration of new hope: a New Year and a promise of a resolution.

I haven’t not decided my resolution yet… I still have a few days – but I do find that amongst this little holiday slump is a glimmer of inspiration – a glimmer of new found excitement and a new year to look forward to.

As for my decorations – I will leave them up for a few more weeks. I just feel lazy right now and want some time to breathe and enjoy them without the expectation of Christmas around the corner.

I just want to settle in a big comfy chair – look around and remind myself all that I am grateful for and all that I am looking forward to this coming year.

Besides, once I put away all the decorations, I will be reminded of all the shortcomings in my house – I want a new kitchen, we need to paint all of the trim, we need to finish the basement…
Ugh… I am so not ready for Christmas to be over!