The stockings are no longer hung by the chimney with care. If your house is anything like mine they’re probably strewn all across the place with remnants of half-eaten chocolate Santa Clauses melting in the felt. Although I’ll be honest when I tell you I collected all the candy from ours and placed it into ziplock bags before hanging the stockings back on their hooks, but I’m a bit of a clean freak.
What I mean is the carolers have come and gone, Santa is taking a well-deserved vacation, and even though it’s probably still stuck in your head, the radio is no longer playing White Christmas (this may make a lot of you very happy).
Christmas has ended. December 25th has passed us by, and it’s passing may have left some of us feeling like we’re grieving, or at least mildly disappointed. You may find yourself feeling like a deflated party balloon or a ship without sails. Now that the Holiday has passed you may feel unmotivated, sapped of your energies, and perhaps depressed. So here’s five things you might want to keep in mind to help ease the transition into the New Year.
- First off you need to know that it’s okay to feel bummed. If you’re feeling some kind of guilt feelings over your melancholy, as you sit in an empty living room with glimpses of wrapping paper remnants still in the corner causing you to want to tear up, then relax. It’s fine to want to bawl as you wave goodbye to extended family as they drive away.
Christmas has a lot of build-up. A large amount of planning, lists, shopping, but most importantly love goes into your Holiday plans. Therefore it’s only natural to feel a little remorse when all that anticipation ends. So if you find yourself today sitting quietly in a balloon of low feelings, disappointment, and post Christmas blues, it’s quite alright. Fix yourself a cup of joe or other drink of choice, kick your feet up, and do something you enjoy like watching a funny movie or reading a book. Don’t feel bad about feeling bad. It’s allowed right now.
- Don’t expect transformation overnight. If you’re anything like me then now that the festivities have ended you are ready to get things back in order. As much as I love the tree and all my precious Christmas decorations, when Santa heads back to the North Pole, I am frustrated that he doesn’t take all the tinsel with him.
If you are already itching to pack away that pesky elf and change back out your table decor, then go ahead if you must. But remember it doesn’t have to be done today, or even tomorrow. There’s no rule that states you must have your house back in order by New Year’s Day.
The important thing is to enjoy the time. Some of us still have a few days off with family. Enjoy yourself. Don’t fall in the trap of sabotaging precious holiday vacation time with your family by cleaning up the aftermath. It will still be there next week. Heck, even the week after that. But at that time kids will be back in school and work will be back in full swing. Don’t end up regretting time you could have spent just sitting around in your new Christmas pajamas, eating left over candy, and watching a family movie, because you chose to take the lights down instead.
- Try to keep in mind that the children are going through withdrawals.
Most kids are like tiny angels the month of December. Motivated by Elf on the Shelf, choruses of Santa Clause is Coming to Town, and strong suggestions from us that they will find coal in their stocking if they don’t watch out, most kiddos are on their best behavior while they eagerly await their Christmas wish lists coming true.
Come Christmas morning, all bets are off! Kids run around shooting each other with Nerf guns, shouting at the top of their lungs, eating candy for breakfast, and reveling in their haul.
Then it’s done. They fall off the sugar high cliff into a pile of discarded toys. Their cousins go home, the candy gets put away (or thrown away), and they are left a little disappointed too.
They are unsure where to place their energies that were earlier invested in the anticipation of Christmas time fun. So they get a little rowdy.
That’s putting it mildly! I was reminded of this earlier when my daughter asked me what I was doing and my reply came out quickly, “Trying not to murder you dear.”
I wish I had my husband’s super powers of being able to ignore their shrieking voices (the force is strong with him), but I am no where near as skilled, and after a few minutes of “momma, momma, momma, momma,” I am usually forced to answer “what” if for no reason but to stop my name from being repeated.
It served me well to remind myself that this is hard for them too. We’re not the only ones with the blues. And while theirs is manifested in continuous bickering over a new toy, it’s still a post-holiday condition. Whether it’s withdrawal from sugar, the extra attention of company, the excitement of Christmas Eve night, or all of the above; they are in a bit of mourning too, and they deserve a pass this week.
- In case you haven’t picked up on this yet: take it easy on yourself!
Maybe all the grief you felt over the loss of a loved one and this subsequent first Christmas without them was put on the back burner in favor of family celebrations. Now you’re feeling the letdown.
It’s okay. Cry. Let out all your pent up frustration, anger, and grief. And cry.
Maybe you overdid it this year. Maybe you spent too much. Now you’re left wondering why you maxed out the credit cards.
Maybe you ate one too many three or four helpings of Aunt Margaret’s famously rich and calorie coma-inducing dessert. Maybe you did this the entire month. Now your left in the aftermath of shocking scale numbers and tight jeans.
Whatever the decision, indulgence, or regret felt after the spirit of the season swayed you, get over it. Stop sweating it and move on. That’s what New Year’s resolutions are for. But until January 1st why don’t you cut yourself some slack and enjoy what’s left of December.
- Most important of all. Don’t pack away the spirit of Christmas.
With all the decorations, the tree, and left over wrapping paper that you’ll be packing away please don’t make the mistake of putting the magical feeling you experienced this season in a box.
Do you remember the excitement you felt when you finally found that perfect gift for your loved one?
Do you remember the deep joy you felt as you watched your children open their gifts, how when their eyes lit up it somehow illuminated your soul?
Do you remember the humbling feeling and bone-deep awe you experienced when you thought of why we celebrate Christmas, when you were struck with wonder over how the King of Kings gave His life just for you?
The love, the giving, the joy, and gratitude for salvation; these things don’t have to be saved for one month out of the year. You can experience the spirit of Christmas and its joy all year long.
Think of that feeling you had in your heart on Christmas and hold on to it. Don’t pack it away until next year. It’s the one decoration you can wear in splendor all year long.
That is all 🙂