Christmas Passed

The tree is taken down, the cards are filed, and the decorations are put away.  The Christmas season is finally over at my house, and now we can get back to our regular routine.  One thing about life, it's full of routines.  I, particularly, have a morning routine:  get up, breakfast (usually a bowl of cereal), go to the computer, check email, read news and comics and then Facebook games.  I have everything timed, even when I grab my shower, so I'm not late for my classes.  This routine will change slightly when I'm finished school and start looking for a new job.

The holidays offer a routine as well.  Routines give us structure and comfort, and we sometimes feel out of sorts when our routine gets interrupted.  Despite its hecticness we can still find a bit of solace in the everyday routines we've created.  We don't put up our decorations until advent starts and we don't take them down until Epiphany.  I try to get my shopping done before the week before Christmas but there always seems to be some last minute thing to rush out for.  There's our Christmas eve service at the church and I'm usually working at the hospital over the Christmas break. 

Christmas day has its routines, as well.  We end up going over to my parents' house for Christmas dinner.  The same dinner has been made for as long as I remember: turkey with stuffing, and boiled vegetables, usually consisting of potatoes, turnips, carrots, and cabbage.   I remember, one year, my mother wanted to change it up a bit and asked up to prepare one part of the meal and we would get together and serve dinner.  While the meal was good, afterwards she felt that she missed part of her Christmas routine.  So, things went back to "normal" for the next year.

So, take comfort in routines.  Routines give us order, and can even help us cope with the hecticness of the season.  First cobwebs, then cables, routines are there, creating memories of Christmases passed.