Around the House - Taking Down Christmas

 I am finally getting around to taking down the Christmas decorations.  I always like to leave my decorations up through epiphany.  That has come and gone. I slowly began putting things away last weekend.  I'm not anywhere close to being finished but at least I have started.  And every year it's the same thing.  I always intend to put things back in a more organized fashion so that they're easier to locate next year.  That's just not going to happen this time either.  Which sucks because this year I'm missing a lot of decorations that I couldn't find.  I know they're out in the garage, I just could not locate them.  Had I organized better last year, this would not have been an issue.  Ah, well.  

This year's holiday was not exactly a happy one for many reasons, so taking down Christmas feels a lot different this year.  There is a lot going through my mind and heart as I look around at all of these things that I take such joy in.  In some ways, I'm scared of putting them away because of what that means but I know that I must do it and deal with what is ahead.  I can do that.  I just fear that my love of the holidays may be diminished going forward.  I honestly don't think that is going to happen, but it is something I fear.

I am about halfway through getting Christmas put away at this point. My Christmas books are still out.  My angel collection is still displayed in the secretary.  The tree is still up.  Hopefully in the next day or two it will all be packed up.  It's just a taxing thing to do this year.  But I will get it done and I will feel better once it is done.  I'm writing about this because my love of all things Christmas is a huge part of who I am.  I listen to my Christmas records all year round because it is my happy music.  I cherish all of my family decorations that have been passed down to me.  There's always a sense of history in my Christmas decorating.  I just want to keep that part of myself intact right now.  Like I said, it's hard this year but I will do what I need to do to keep this an important part of my being.  

I hope that next Christmas I will look back at this year and know that good things happened at Christmas, even if it didn't feel like it at the time.  That is all.