There is always such a build up to the Holidays, particularly Christmas, that the aftermath is a bit of a let down. That's my thought here on the 1st day of 2014, which is the last day of my vacation. I return to work tomorrow not really looking forward to it, though not as stressed as I had imagined. I promised myself that I would have a better attitude about work in the new year, so I need to work on that. Though my daughter and I didn't set down any resolutions for the new year, I've always looked at each year as a chance to improve myself. I've been going the opposite way recently, so that is something else I need to work on.
Before this turns into a mish-mash of a blog post, let me get back on topic.
I love the Fall Holidays. Halloween, which is just a lot of fun, signifies to me that the warm weather is officially gone and I can enjoy the cooler weather that is coming. I'm a cool/cold weather fan. Though I love putting the top down on my car, it's just as nice to be able to have the heat going in the car. In fact, I've put the top down in cool weather with the heat blasting, just to have a taste of both. I'm digressing again. After Halloween, with the cooler weather, I enjoy being outside, and I can usually persuade my daughter to go on hikes with me. This leads up to Thanksgiving, which is really the big family time. I love Thanksgiving Day, and I enjoy even more now that I do not participate in Black Friday sales. I find it all very relaxing. And Mom makes a heck of a turkey dinner.
From there, it's all a buildup to Christmas. The season is just magical. We even got a little taste of winter with a healthy amount of snow a few weeks before. I love everything about the season. I even like shopping for my family and friends, finding that perfect gift for each of them. I love going out and cutting down a fresh Christmas Tree (even if we didn't do it this year), I love decorating (though we didn't do much), I love the music, and I love the traditions we've established. I love that all of the TV shows focus on Christmas, even if very few mention the birth of Christ. I love going to see my favorite movie, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, on the big screen at the AFI Silver Theater... It's just a great season!
Then there's Christmas itself.... Though I had to work a full day on Christmas Eve, I love the last-minute wrapping of gifts, going to the Christmas Eve church service to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, spending the evening with my in-laws and parents and watching Melody open her gifts, then crashing for the night at Mom & Dad's, and opening gifts all day on Christmas Day with my family. I love the extra attention we give the pets on Christmas (Faithful Pup Scout and Macy both get gifts), as well as snacking on ham sandwiches and cookies and egg nog throughout the day. Then we crash again and spend the whole next day doing nothing but enjoying each other's company and looking through all of our gifts, thankful the whole time for everyone's generosity at remembering the things that we like.
My daughter and I had planned a getaway over the break, but we never got to it. I spent most of Friday in the sales office at the local Jeep dealer buying our new Wrangler, and because of the rain on Sunday, we didn't go to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, for their Christmas season. But we did celebrate my father's birthday on Monday, and then New Year's Eve last night.....
And now it's all over. Everything is going back to normal. The Christmas lights have come down. There's no more Christmas music playing. Though I enjoy the Winter weather, most people do not, and their attitudes match their feelings about the weather. If it's cold or rainy, it causes people to be in a bad mood. Even snow, which to me is magical, causes many to worry and be unhappy. I'm much like a kid, I guess, since I love the snow and love it even more when school or work gets canceled because of it, even if it causes me to have to change my schedule, and I have to shovel it. I still love it.
But, anyway, aside from the weather (in my case), there is a downward trend towards Spring. Part of it is how much I dislike the Spring...April is the month that my wife passed away, so I associate it with that. But it's really just the end of the Christmas season that I don't like. I'm sure that my attitude just needs an adjustment, and I'm probably in the minority as it is in regards to the weather. But there's just a wind down that occurs until the summer, and then we begin the wind up back to the Fall and Christmas season again.
Whatever the case may be, I hope you have a wonderful New Year, and enjoy the Winter weather.
Goodnight, everyone!
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