Christmas Memories

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The day has come and gone. Family has visited, creating fond memories of laughter and love. Stockings have been searched to see what Santa left. Presents have been given and received, leaving a scattering of wrinkled paper, empty gift boxes and a blank space under the tree. The lights still twinkle on the tree inside and the eaves outside. Decorations still dress the house in green, red, silver, gold and more. The scents of Christmas candles still fill the air, wafting around corners in tiny gusts. Leftovers stuff the refrigerator and freezer, lasting reminders of the special day. Yes, Christmas is over. With wistful smiles, decorations are lovingly packed away for another year: the hand-painted dough ornaments your children made in grade school, the ornaments sent by family stationed overseas, the antique glass balls which used to hang on your grandmother’s tree every year. Each carries the memories of Christmases past. As the last box is stored away in the attic, closet or garage, you sigh and look around the house, now devoid of festive embellishments. Closing your eyes, you can still see the iron stocking hangers, originally belonging to your grandmother, which sat on the shelf holding handmade stockings from your sister. In your mind’s eye, the lights still twinkle on the tree, hidden among the branches and sparkling against the ornaments. You open your eyes and see it was just a fleeting memory, another in a long line of Christmas memories, to be stored away until next year. One last task remains: removing the outdoor lights from the eaves. You’re tempted to pretend you live in a campground, where it’s not uncommon to see festive outdoor Christmas lights up year-round. However, you know your neighbors wouldn’t be quite so understanding, so out comes the ladder. These, too, are soon tucked away with the rest of the décor to await another holiday season. You stand in your yard, looking at the house, which seems so very plain now. Inside is the same, seemingly devoid of sparkle and cheer, and another wistful smile tugs at the corners of your mouth. Already you are planning the next Christmas: the perfect gifts for each person on your list, who will be invited to dinner or a party, when to arrange for guests to arrive, who will spend how many nights at your home, what you will cook. With plans of Christmas-to-come circling through your head, the world seems a little brighter, even though it’s a year away. You softly hum a happy Christmas carol as you go about your day, knowing Christmas is coming again.