Wednesday, December 26, 2012

The Aftermath...


The Day After Christmas

It's one day after Christmas,
I'm crabby and I'm broke.
I'm so full of ham and fruitcake,
I think I'm gonna croak...”
                                               Christmas Jokes Webblog

So, here we are, one day later. The family room is covered with torn up Christmas paper, half our gifts have to be returned because they don't fit, and the refrigerator is crammed with leftover food that no one can stand the sight of. Just about now, we've had enough of Uncle Howie's off-color jokes and Aunt Alma's complaining about her bunions, but of course, they're not leaving until New Year's. We grit our teeth and fire up the stove for yet another round of bacon and eggs wondering how anyone can possibly be hungry given the sheer volume of engorgement that's occurred over the last forty-eight hours.

Merry, merry, blah, blah, blah. Ah, yes, the after-Christmas blahs—a well known and completely understandable ailment. We humans are quite a bit like hobbits, actually. We prefer life to go according to schedule; we like to keep to our routine, and eat our regular food, and have our space and time just the way we always have it. Holidays are totally irregular. We have to interact with people who are “different,” and who have worn out their welcome after about two days. We eat all that rich food and feel out of sorts with our insides. We suddenly remember the folks we forgot to buy gifts for and wonder which unwanted gifts we received can be re-gifted without being discovered. It's an awkward and difficult time.

Fear not, dear one. This too shall pass. New Year's will come and go, and the house will clear out and the garbage truck will come and pick up all the boxes and trash. Life will resume its normal proportions, and you will sigh with relief that this won't happen again for another year.

Hopefully, somewhere in all of that hullabaloo, a child was born, a son given, with authority resting upon his shoulders, who will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. As you're picking up the paper, and putting away the tinsel, and making soup from the leftovers, think upon this: 'His authority shall grow and there shall be endless peace.' Don't we wish that were so?

                                                 In the spirit,
                                                   Jane

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