Taking Down The Tree...

It’s kind of depressing.  Everyone looks forward to putting up the tree. It’s a happy event that signals the coming of Christmas, visiting family, great food, and of course, presents. But what does taking down the tree mean?  Work.  There is no fun to be had in taking off the ornaments and wrapping them up to put back in their boxes. No joy in folding up the empty Christmas stocking, that not too long ago held little treasures. No laughs in taking off the lights and trying to make sure they are tangled for next year. It’s just a chore, all of it. And it’s sad too. 

Having the tree, all decorated and lit up with bright lights, in a prominent place in your home, is easy to get used to. And psychologically, it represents all good things of the holiday season. Our ornaments have been collected from different family vacations we took over the years (yes, even Wildwood). We always made a point of picking something out over the summer vacation that we would add to the tree in December. The girls went from getting excited about finding their ornaments to “do we have to pick out another ornament, we already too many?” Some of the ornaments we have were made by me, like their stockings, with counted cross stitch. I put their names and the year on the ones I made, and tried to make them a little different from each other. Looking at the tree brings back so many good memories for me. I really dislike taking it down, but it’s the absence of the tree, after it’s been up so long, that kind of leaves the room feeling barren.  It takes a couple of days to get used to it being gone. 

But it has to be done. Today is the day; the holidays are over. Everyone goes back to work or school tomorrow and a new year starts. I even saw Valentine’s Day decorations out this week. The stores are ready to move on and promote the next holiday.  I guess I’m just feeling a little nostalgic and dragging my feet this morning. 

I have to snap out of it! I have things to do, a new diet and exercise plan to start. By Valentine’s Day I might have lost 6 to 8 of my ten pounds.  Then I will go shopping for some new clothes as a reward.  I have some intensive blogging to do. I need to get rid of as much stuff in this house as possible, so we can try to sell it and get out of here. My younger daughter will be graduating in May! My husband retiring early in June. The year is going to fly by, and soon I will be putting up the tree and buying presents. Christmas will be here before I know it! 

Oy vey, what to buy?