And Just Like That... I'm Done With Christmas

Since tying the knot almost 15 years ago, Blair and I have had an ongoing day-after-Christmas discussion that goes something like this:

DENA: "It's December 26th. Let's take the tree down."

BLAIR: "My family left the tree up until January 1st. That way we could enjoy it longer."

DENA: (Collecting Boxes) "Let's take the tree down."

BLAIR: "But leaving it up makes the holidays last that much longer."

DENA: "DOWN! DOWN! DOWN!"

I'm ready to have my house back after the holidays. Everything back in place so I'm ready for a fresh start to the New Year. Leaving the tree up makes me feel like I'm behind, as if the two hours spent on January 1st putting away ornaments will somehow taint the river of potential accomplishment that comes with the New Year.

This year was different. Normally tired of the Christmas blur by the day after Thanksgiving, this year I listened non-stop to the radio stations playing holiday music 24/7. My mood perked up each morning when I plugged in the tree and I gave a small sigh of disappointment each night when I had to unplug it. It had finally happened. I was a Christmas person. And as such, I was ready to make the leap.

I approached Blair this morning: "I'm okay with leaving the tree up this year."

"It's okay," he said. "We can take it down."

"No, no. You don't understand. I want to leave it up."

So this morning I plugged in the tree and admired the colored lights from outside the house as I left to drive to Greensboro for a long run. But then... disaster. I punched the car radio to the all holiday station and--what the hell--they were playing normal music! I quickly switched to the other all holiday station. Bryan Adams crooned that "Everything I do, I do it for you." Lovely Brian, but wtf is my Christmas music?!?

I walked in the door from running, showered, and hauled out the ornament boxes.

"What's going on?" asked Blair, coming downstairs. "I thought we were leaving the tree up."

"Chrismtas music is through. I'm done," I replied. "Here, wrap up this reindeer."

And so once again, Christmas has left the Harris house. All is put away and the house is back together. And I breath a sigh of relief.

Now I can get started on those New Year plans.