It’s a bit sad to be taking down Christmas this year.
In the past I have put the lights on the tree, and my mother & sister have hung ornaments. This year, well, the lights were all that made it up. There are lots of varied lights — I made sure of that — so it look’s very nice, but it means that, well, things are slipping.
I’m taking down Christmas — the blue lights on the front planting, the clear lights on the planting by the door, the garland twisted with red and gold lights, the wreath with the big round berry lights my father bought on one Black Friday jaunt with my sister & I because my mother had seen some and liked them, the forest over the closet with the neon tree, the carnival tinsel tree with blinky leds, the garland on the balustrade, the dancing leds in the garage door windows, all that and more.
And it feels like this time, well, they may not go up again. My sister is pushing me to resolve finances so we can be ready if there is a big change, the unsaid big changes that may or may not happen this year.
We are past the milepost, and now head into another stretch of long road, winding and bumpy, not knowing where we will come out when we pass this time again.
It’s time to take down Christmas, and this year that makes me a bit melancholy.
May the gift of joy surprise us — and you — on this journey though 2007.
Callan 