I can't lay claim to looking like this lovely ballerina, but I do imagine that I feel very much as she might. My sweet but fleeting Christmas dance is over for this year, and I find myself wrapped in a few bright stars of memory with a slightly somber but entirely peaceful mood of reflection.
It's a feeling I mostly like for its depth, a grounded stillness that is hard to come by in the busy bustle of life and the living of it. But it comes at a price.
The family is gone. Soon, the decorations will follow. Even the music, which I play until New Year's Day, loses a bit of its magic after the fact...becoming more a reminder of Christmas past than present.
Happily, my new resolve to keep Christmas all year is very much on my mind. But I still miss the joy of loved ones around me. And the cleaners are here today to wipe away the traces.
Isn't life interesting? So many shades and colors. But always enough bright lights to go round.
PS. Sometimes you do have to look for them.
Thanks to everyone for their prayers and good thoughts for Sully.
Surgery went well, but he's in a lot of pain and still needs prayers.
He will stay in the hospital for two to four days while he recovers.
18 comments:
The Christmas "let down" is so hard. Everything seems to lose it's sparkle afterwards.
I hope to find sparkle in other places all year.
And for me the best part of having not much holiday spirit beforehand...is that there was nothing to take down! So, no let down this year!! :)
Beautiful sentiment, Sue.
Blessings always, and I'm thinking of Sully. Everything okay?
xoRobyn
I know what you mean....
It helps a little that we celebrate "Little Christmas" here as well (on January 6th) as the day that the Wise Men reach Jesus and bring him gifts...but I'm always a little sad when Christmas day is over.
Sending hugs and warm thoughts your way... I know you had a wonderful Christmas!
:)
I'm glad everything went well for little Sully! I hope he is out and up and running around soon!
It's always hard to give up Christmas. I love the song from the Forgotten Carols "I Cry The Day That I Take The Tree Down". I am doing this today. I don't feel like crying today but I always treasure Christmas memories in my heart.
I'm sorry I missed yesterday's post - but I'm so glad that Sully is doing well! I'll continue to pray for his complete recovery - sweet little guy. And how are YOU doing after all of your Christmas activities? We've got your rainstorm today.
Wow. You really summed me up. I had a really hard time with the Christmas let down this year. Don't know why. It just all went so fast. Thanks for your words Sue.
It's hard when family comes to visit and the fun and noise and happiness then has to leave...but I'm glad many good memories were made and hopefully next year will be as fun. I still can't believe this year is almost over...now I can think of spring and what to put in my garden!
I totally forgot that I wanted to wrap the kids up in lights for the Christmas card. Next year!!!:)
The heavy sigh that is the after Christmas experience -a difficult one to say the least. On the one hand it was so much fun that every day should be Christmas, and on the other there is nothing like routine and familiarity to comfort.
Praying for your little Sully man!
Between Christmas and New Years Eve is the busiest time of the year for Dick and me. We are having our Seventh Annual New York New Years Eve party and I always have everything looking absolutely perfect. That means cleaning all the nooks and crannies in the whole house! I just finished the china cabinet in the dining room and it is hard because all the china, crystal etc. must come out and be washed, to say nothing about the mirrors and glass shelves. I needed to take a break.
Having said that, it is still one of my favorite times of the year. We are having twelve couples for dinner, circle time and then we toast in the New York New Years Eve and then everyone goes home. We all have such a good time. Fortunately it is pot luck so all I have to do is bake my choco brownie cake.
The best thing about Christmas is being around family and when all your family can come to you, that is the absolute best. It's wonderful that they still come to you. But, it is a big let down when they leave. I'm glad your cleaners are there so that you don't have to do so much of the cleaning.
We can always look forward to the next family event and that will be Newport Beach in July! As for me, I can look forward to the golf time when you all come to Palm Desert in May. That's not so far away.
Christmas is magic. I find it sometimes is something I need to look for everyday...the magic...I mean so that Christmas doesn't isn't all packed away.
I hope your New Years is a bright beginning for the next Christmas.
I think this is the first year ever that I've experienced some Christmas letdown. The older I get the more sentimental I become. I too, have thought about trying to keep Christmas alive all year through.
So you have a housekeeper? Lucky you!
I agree. After Christmas is hard....and New Years Eve is such a reminder that the most wonderful time of the year is gone...NYE is total let down.
I love that picture.
(Pssst. You mention some books you published. How do you find a good editor??)
I never like how it felt after Christmas was over and I like to get the decorations down as quickly as possible.
Thank you so much for the update on little Sully, I am so sorry he has pain and I hope that goes away quickly. Still praying for him here.
Hugs
so glad to hear the surgery went well...I hope his recovery is quick!
I love the way your posts make me think. My blog is mostly about family and I started it as a way to journal to capture the moments of new grandchildren as they were quickly coming into our lives. Yours helps me to look INside to reflect about life and what it means as it evolves...thankyou!
As the holidays are over, the memories were wonderful and all is cleaned up so I am simply enjoying the quiet as January starts. I really enjoy snuggling up with a magazine or starting a fire and watching a good flick. The summer is always so fun and busy...it's a nice change to simply be.
Thanks for so many wonderful posts that are startlingly thought provoking....love that Sue!
I'm sorry I haven't been around for a few days. Sorry about little Sully--glad he is doing as well as can be expected. My Christmas Spirit never really got off the ground this year so for the first time ever in my life--I am not deeply saddened to see it go. Weird place to be. Lovely post, full of thoughts....
There is so much build up for Christmas, and when it is over, it seems so empty. I think that is why some people leave the decorations up so long. But as you said, there is always light to be found. And how exciting is it to start a new year? A fresh and clean and ready for us to put our story upon it?
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