Tense Christmas

The decorations are stacked in a corner, the tree will come down this weekend, and all in all life is getting back to normal here on the old homestead.  This Christmas was, for some reason, a tense one.  We had a last minute change of plans that gave us all three kids home for five days instead of the planned two, which meant sleeping space was at a premium. It rained much of the time, which meant we were all indoors, and by about Sunday I'd say people were looking for ways to get out of the house for awhile, in small groups rather than as one big happy family.

Plus there was Christmas Day itself.  For some reason, my husband chose this day to do a Bataan Death March-style workday on the fencing around our property, and was frankly angry when he was finally called in to stop and have dinner with everyone.  The prime rib was terribly undercooked, a fact which he pointed out in a loud voice, several times, to anyone within earshot (remember he was already angry we'd made him come in and stop working) and the only way to salvage it was to gently microwave the meat until it was cooked to medium.  Surprisingly, this actually worked, so the dinner was saved. But the tenseness was a palpable thing by that time. 

I'm relatively new to the whole Norman Rockwell Christmas thing.  Chanukah is a completely different holiday.  For the most part, people work during the day, so the only time they're together is for dinner.  One gift is opened per night, which means there's no rush of gifts over a 15-minute period one morning, the way Christmas happens.  And with the focus on the meal and one present for each person, it just feels less rushed, and with lower expectations overall.  

For much of my life, I had lower expectations about Christmas, too.  Once I was an adult, I usually did decorate a tree (Chanukah bush!), but Christmas Eve I'd usually spend listening to music, or reading, and enjoying the pretty lights on the tree.  Christmas Day I'd sleep in, grab some breakfast, and then go over to someone's house who was celebrating, and enjoy a nice dinner with them and their family.  I have lots of happy memories from those years, which is probably why I try and re-create those times in my own home on Christmas.

Yet sometimes, despite my best efforts, it just doesn't come together.  And this year was one of those times.  While no one fought (a good thing) and goodwill was still felt by all, I still think that despite our lovely location people felt a little marooned up on this hilltop of ours, and were happy to go back to their regular lives.

What can you do?  Take down the decorations, and get over it, that's what.  What else is there to do?