Even thought it’s a bit stressful, it’s fun to get ready for Christmas. I enjoy putting up the tree and going through all those ornaments my kids have made over the years. I love decorating the mantle with garland and my Christmas Snowbabies. It’s fun to wrap presents as long as it isn’t on Christmas Eve. Isn’t it great that they still run that same Hershey’s kisses commercial from 1989???
But then, it’s over. Once we’ve visited every relative and stopped by every holiday party, once we’ve unwrapped all the gifts and pitched the crumpled paper into the trash can, all the holiday spirit is gone. The tree is now just in the way, and the gifts are just something else I have to find a place for. The miniature village looks more like a ghost town. Christmas carols regress back to the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. All of those Christmas cookies that seemed pretty innocent on the 23rd are now chock full of guilty calories. People talk about getting depressed during the holidays, but most of it for me comes after the holidays.
Ah, well, time to move on to the next holiday. A new year, and time to improve myself (at least for a month). Time to make resolutions that I’m really going to keep this time (I really will get in shape this year. Really. Oh, look, cookies!) And time to start worrying about what to give everyone for Christmas next year (I just can’t help myself!)
Mmmm….red velvet cookies!
Ashley O'Melia, Author 
I know the feeling! But I also get sad when time comes to put away the tree. The lights are still cheerful and give a certain life to the place. Oh well, time flies, it’ll be back up soon!
It is sad. It’s also so much work to get it all decorated that I hate to undo it! 🙂 I’m surprised every year just how many boxes i have to pull out of the attic!