When I was growing up, my mom declared “taking down the Christmas decorations day” as the worst day of the year. When all the decorations were put away, she would then sadly describe how bare and empty everything looked. To be fair, my mom overloaded our house with decorations. Our home was only about 1200 square feet, but we had enough decorations to make the Clampett’s mansion in Beverly Hills look like Santa’s workshop. When it was all removed, our house really did look bare and empty.
My mom’s love for Christmas was contagious, and found its way into my heart. I’m a holiday geek – starting on Halloween and rolling all the way through New Year’s; but it’s Christmas that drives all of it. Halloween is simply a kick-off party, and Thanksgiving is the day that Santa Claus makes his way down 34th Street. After Thanksgiving weekend, it’s four weeks of joy.
Unfortunately, my mom’s sadness in early January was also contagious. I call it the Post-Christmas Blues. No more parties, no more holiday cards, no more Christmas movies, no more presents, no more turkey, no more holiday style beer, no more Christmas lights, and no more guilt-free deserts. During the first few weeks of every new year, there is a dull sadness in the background of everything I experience. I’m sad right now as I type this. To be clear, no one can tell except my wife. I’m not overwhelmed with grief – just a little sad.
For years, I tried to find a remedy to this dynamic. When I was young, baseball season was approaching and I’d start practicing as soon as possible – I was still sad. In college, a new semester brought new opportunities – I was still sad. In my twenties, it was all about the goals for the new year – I was still sad. As I moved through my thirties, I planned a trip after the holidays – yep, still sad.
A few years ago, I decided to embrace the grief, realizing that it represented a loss of something amazing – something to be appreciated. That’s what I do today. I don’t plan anything special or create a spreadsheet of new year’s goals. I simply wake up and live my life. After celebrating with a three-year-old this year, I’m dealing with some of the worst Post-Christmas Blues that I’ve had. You know what? That’s ok. Like every other year, these blues will pass, but I’ll have a reminder of how amazing the holidays were. The Post-Christmas Blues are as real as ever, and I’m glad!
