“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” Vincent Van Gogh
Where did Christmas go?
With the end of De-cember, it is time to de-clutter, isn’t it?
I know that Christmas isn’t technically over until January 6 (traditionally the day the Magi (Wise Men) arrive to honor the baby in the manger), but time marches on. The holy bric-a-brac have been returned to their proper totes and toted out to the shed for yet another year. The outdoor decorations will come down as soon as weather permits over the next few days.
I’m generally pretty good at taking care of the outdoor lighting. I am a well-known procrastinator (well, I would be well-known if I ever got around to sending out the announcement), but I’m really an amateur compared to my father.
When I was growing up, we had one six-foot string of holiday lights that hung above the front door. It was not unusual for them to stay there far longer than necessary. One year my aunt and uncle came to visit on the Fourth of July; as my Dad opened the door, Uncle George reached through and handed him that string of lights he’d taken down while Aunt Elizabeth rang the doorbell. It was funny and embarrassing at the same time.
I like the decluttering part of Christmas. I doubt my wife will believe it, but I really do. I enjoy the holidays, especially when they’re over.
There is something nerve-wracking about all the to-do surrounding the holidays, like the expectations that things will be perfect while reality is often quite different. Mixed in with the lights, tinsel, and holiday cheer is grief, depression, and (this year) the continuing war in Ukraine, genocide in the Middle East, and (of course) the continuing drama of political life in these United States.
I wish world troubles could be put away as easily as all our holiday decorations, but if it hasn’t happened in two thousand years of angels singing “Peace on Earth, and Good Will towards all whom God favors,” it is unlikely to happen in our own lifetimes.
But we can give it a shot, can’t we? As the old song goes, “Let there be peace on earth … and let it begin with me.”
With the start of a fresh year, we begin with a fresh slate. One of the major steps in the world of recovery is to let go of the past. We don’t forget it, obviously, and remembering it allows us to make course adjustments as we move forward, but just as we de-clutter in De-cember, so should we consider de-taching from things that hold us back. I’ve found that a lack of peace is often the result of hanging onto things that no longer serve us well, like resentments or other things we cannot change. Let go and let God, as they say.
While we’re at it, we may as well consider de-leting anything that de-values our health and well-being. There are a lot of old habits that simply don’t help us in life. Some habits are good, like eating right, brushing after meals, and cleaning up as we go. But a lot of habits are simply barriers to a better life, like living in the past or fretting over the future, or doing the same things over and over again, not because they’re good, but because change would require putting thought and effort into what changes we’d actually want to make.
The new year is upon us. I’ve no idea where Christmas went, but don’t worry; it’ll be back. It always returns (which is why people so often add “Many happy returns” to their cards, eh?).
It’s a good time to de-clutter, de-tach, and de-lete. Perhaps that will help us find de-light here in this, our valley. Happy New Year to all de-wonderful folks of de-valley!
Keith Axberg writes on matters concerning life and faith. Author of: Who the Blazes is Jesus? Good News for a Vulgar World (available through Amazon in Print and e-book)
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