After the Festivities

The Festivities are over, it is the days after Christmas and New Year. Guests have dispersed, holidays are over and children back to school , Recouping after the month long frenzy, everyone is returning to the old routine.

The magic is fading. The tree is sagging, drooping under the weight of the ornaments. The once tall green now a dusty brown, and shrinking with each passing Christmas. The shiny silver star atop ,tarnished and grey, the white angel, with broken wings, still hanging up there .

The fairy lights, no longer bright, have lost their sparkle over the years. Shining intermittently, their sequence, now slow and weary. The Nativity scene askew, with the shepherd missing and the sheep astray. No more presents at the bottom of the tree, leaving an empty space .

And yet every Christmas, they come out of their box, to fill our homes with gaiety, to remind us, of the times gone by. The times when laughter was easy, and we didn’t need an occasion, to dance all night .

The times when the list was long for greeting cards and wishes . The tireless shopping for presents, for every generation. A time when, the dining table was too small, for the family Christmas lunch, when chairs were added for additional seating .

With the passing years, we who once stood tall, grow old and frail. We have gained from enriching moments, left broken by the deleterious ones. Burdens we carry, some from attachment, others, thrust upon us by circumstances. Our family, diminishing in size, the circle of friends, small enough to span with our hands .

The year 2021, was by far the most brutal. The first half in the fearful grip of the plague, and the latter, enduring inclement weather. Many of us lost loved ones and friends, laying them to rest in our hearts. Now there are fewer members to greet, and empty chairs around the table .

We start this New Year with the hope, of all good things waiting for us . Our resilient spirit, not giving up, we continue to dream, not of success or assets , but a life filled with family and friends, and a home filled with laughter.