In 1959, Pete Seeger adapted Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 into a song and called it “Turn, Turn, Turn”. The chorus echoes in my mind anytime I think about change.

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time for every purpose, under Heaven

Have you ever thought about how you feel the day after a holiday? How do you feel the day after Christmas, the day after your birthday, your anniversary, or even Valentine’s Day? Are you tempted, like me, to latch on to the negativity of letdown? How do we get through that?

Christmas shows up earlier and earlier each year.  It bursts onto the scene with all of its merriment, lights, reindeer, snowmen, ribbons, bows, etc. It also comes overstuffed with memories, anticipation, and expectations. When it’s over I always feel like I’ve been flung from a bull at the rodeo. The 8 weeks between Halloween and Christmas feel more like 8 seconds.

This year the retail march toward Christmas started before Halloween. A giant Santa figure stood atop an aisle at my local Walmart that was filled with plastic jack-o-lanterns. I literally did a double-take when I saw it. It stood my nerves on edge. Then, while I was finishing up my Christmas shopping, several stores already had aisles full of Valentine’s Day items. Gross! No!

The day after Christmas is my least favorite day all year. I always wake up feeling let down. No matter the spoilage that happened the day before, I wake up done with Christmas. The overwhelming need to rid my life of all visible reminders of the holiday rules supreme until the task is accomplished.

As I write this, the date is December 26^th. I just finished purging my home of all Christmas items. I stuffed my fake tree back in its box. I packed away all the lights, ornaments, and stockings. I whispered, “Until next year”, to each character of my beloved Willow Tree nativity scene as I fitted it back into its Styrofoam off-season home. It is all safely tucked away in the basement until the end of 2022.

Life has a natural ebb and flow to it. Most of the time, I handle that well. Ups and downs are a natural part of the process. I am regularly reminded of the downside of things on the day after Christmas. Remembrance has taken place. Anticipation has ended. The expectation is dealt with. Change is on the way.

Change is the problem, for me at least. After soaking, willingly or not, in all of the holiday things… we must move on. I just prefer for it to happen in an orderly fashion. Shopping for stocking stuffers alongside hearts and teddy bears felt really extreme.

Perhaps retailers should remember that to everything there is a season, and thus forego all the yucky mixing of holidays. As for us, we need to appreciate the moments as they come. What feels like a downside or a letdown is just turning. I think that is key to our ability to survive all of our feelings over anticipated things.

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time for every purpose, under Heaven

In the coming year…

May your moments be grand, and your turnings filled with grace.

XOXO,

Stef