Those Post-holiday Blues..

All the preparation, all the baking, all the shopping, all the decorating... When we were young and Christmas was full of imagination and wonderment, we all couldn't wait for the one special night when we went to bed with eyes that we were sure would never close, only to find morning had snuck up on us suddenly and the most exciting day of the year was finally here! These were truly magical times!

Christmas is truly about the birth of Christ and Christianity and that should not be allowed to become lost in the celebration of holiday events, but Christmas is also a very special time...even a magical time in the lives of children, and that is as it should be. In the years of our lives, we will undergo so many different phases, in which there will be successes and failures and burdens of responsibility of family and careers. The few years of our early childhood that are innocent and carefree may be the most cherished memories of our lives.

Christmas brings out the best in people and therefore leaves us with memories of happiness that will endure throughout all the struggles of our lives. It is a special gift that we can give to our children when we become parents and are fully aware of how special our own holiday memories are to us.

I remember those youthful Christmas memories with the warmest feelings of love and family as some of the happiest times of my life! They were filled with warm glowing lights, good smells, laughter and love and I knew that I had to give those special memories to my children as well.

Life if hard enough and we all well know that those post holiday blues begin with taking down the decorations and removing each special ornament off the tree and remembering the special memory they remind us of in Christmas's past. There is a sad feeling about taking down all the decorations and knowing that spending every day with a purpose of visiting family and friends and realizing all of our blessings was ending, only to go back to our daily routines. We know that Christmas magic is now eleven months away again.

The post holiday blues will not last, as we open out eyes and minds to exciting and new goals for the new year, but it always did take about a week or even two for me to snap myself out of the blissful happiness of enjoying the closeness and love and the special gift that Christmas and holiday season gives us and how we feel when we give of ourselves to others. That's why Christmas can be difficult for many of us to see end. Perhaps our best hope of dismissing these feelings is to continue giving of ourselves to others throughout the rest of the year and insure that we remember to show the ones we love, how blessed we are to have them in our lives, each day.