The beauty of holiday breaks
The stretch of time from Thanksgiving through New Year’s has always been one of my favorite times of year.
I love all of it: the lights, the decorations, the music, the food. Even the shopping (though I don’t venture out on Black Friday, since I don’t find That Holiday Spirit in stampeding crowds).
Mostly what I love about this time of year is that we allow it to be special. We go out of our way to make that family recipe, host that party, send that card, put up those decorations. We take days off.
Regular daily life is an endless, predictable round of work and chores. No tinsel, no gifts, no sleeping until 10 AM and having leftover pie for breakfast. January is heart-breaking: we tear down the silver and gold, the multi-colored lights, and return to the cement-gray world of regular life. Ugh.
This post appears on December 27, which is part of that quiet pre-New Year’s week when offices are lightly staffed and social expectations are low. We’re all just recovering from the holiday bustle, and possibly preparing for one last party on New Year’s Eve. Although it is not so for everyone, it can be a very restful week.
So, this week, if you are one of the fortunate ones on vacation, wrap some tinsel around you and have one last piece of peppermint bark. Take one last afternoon to curl up on the couch with a good book, or play cards with the family, or assemble the new toys (batteries not included!). Take the wrapping paper out of the dog’s mouth, make a sandwich from leftover turkey, and settle down with the crossword puzzle.
Regular life will resume soon enough.
I love all of it: the lights, the decorations, the music, the food. Even the shopping (though I don’t venture out on Black Friday, since I don’t find That Holiday Spirit in stampeding crowds).
Mostly what I love about this time of year is that we allow it to be special. We go out of our way to make that family recipe, host that party, send that card, put up those decorations. We take days off.
Regular daily life is an endless, predictable round of work and chores. No tinsel, no gifts, no sleeping until 10 AM and having leftover pie for breakfast. January is heart-breaking: we tear down the silver and gold, the multi-colored lights, and return to the cement-gray world of regular life. Ugh.
This post appears on December 27, which is part of that quiet pre-New Year’s week when offices are lightly staffed and social expectations are low. We’re all just recovering from the holiday bustle, and possibly preparing for one last party on New Year’s Eve. Although it is not so for everyone, it can be a very restful week.
So, this week, if you are one of the fortunate ones on vacation, wrap some tinsel around you and have one last piece of peppermint bark. Take one last afternoon to curl up on the couch with a good book, or play cards with the family, or assemble the new toys (batteries not included!). Take the wrapping paper out of the dog’s mouth, make a sandwich from leftover turkey, and settle down with the crossword puzzle.
Regular life will resume soon enough.
So true, Jenn! I'm going to take your advice.
ReplyDelete:-) Enjoy!
DeleteThis post makes me want to keep the tree up for another week : )
ReplyDeleteOurs always stays up until after New Year's!
DeleteI'm so jazzed about '15, I tore my tree down and decorated for New Year's. ;)
ReplyDeleteAs long as you have some kind of decorations up, it's still festive!
Delete