The day after Christmas, and the plummetting of spirits have progressed rapidly the past twenty-four hours.  There is such a build up of emotions getting to Christmas that it's a wonder there isin't a world wide explosion about Christmas Eve.  Hectic shopping, baking, wrapping of presents, delivering presents, receiving presents, cleaning the house, preparing for company or prparing to go be with family, all tends to add up in the weeks before Christmas.  Because of the media's play in Christmas, this build up starts about the time school starts in the fall. This gives all of us at least four months of pressure and stress.  You know, even a pressure cooker will blow up eventuallly if the pressure isn't controlled.  So is it anywonder that tempers flare, children become too excited and cry. 
     We have always had our big Christmas party of Christmas Eve, getting together the grandchildren and adults that evening.  It is a good evening of eating, listening to the Bible story of Jesus' birth, and opening presents.  When the grandchildren were all young, it was sometimes a hilarious evening for the adults as we watched the children finally able to open some of their presents.  Trying to stay organized is difficult underthese trying circumstances, but we have held fast to the rule of only one person opening a present at a time.  Sometimes hard for a little one who hasn't had a chance to open a present yet.  This year we only had two wee ones, a 7 year old and a 2 year old.  The older of the two was controlled, just barely, but the younger flitted around, helping everyone open their gifts, and tearing paper off from his own.
     Then waking up Christmas morning at our home was like reading a book  and just finished the part of the biggest climax only to find that the book ended abrutly.  I felt like I had been dropped flat without warning, splatted right on the concrete without a parachute.  There hadn't been a warning that the end was near, no gentle let down or tying of ends together.  No, just "it's over."
     This is the first time I've felt this let down so dramatically.  Is it my age? Is it circumstances  around us? Was it the fact that we had a friend bring his mentally challeneged son to be with us on Christmas Eve because they had no place else to go, and I got caught in the emotion of that? Was it because of challenges we've faced throughout the year all of a sudden seem too big of a mountain to climb right now?  Don't know, but I do know it hit me hard. 
     I normally love Christmas and the days after Christmas I have always enjoyed the slowdown in pace, the chance to look around and appreciate those friends and family close by, to keep in touch with those far away.  Not so this time.
     I'm going to have to start shoveling hard and furious to get myself out of this hole. And I know I will, but this morning I just want to pull the blankets up over my head and not look out.