He said/ She said: Christmas "takedown" can be a letdown

___There’s an old saying that "nothing’s over like Christmas." That’s often the way it feels around Dec. 26 or 27. But somehow this year, the spirit of the season seemed to last a little longer. ___ Maybe it was because we didn’t trave MARK WINGFIELD l anywhere this year and didn’t have anything major to do. Maybe it’s because the older we get, the more we’re learning to procrastinate about taking down the Christmas decorations. ___ Hey, any excuse works, right? ___ Our last Christmas decorations didn’t come down this year until Jan. 6--probably a record late date for us. The icy weather gave us a good excuse to put off taking down the outdoor lights. And if it hadn’t been for Alison taking the initiative on the inside decorations, we might still be basking in the glow of the Christmas tree. ___ Why is it so much harder to take down the decorations than to put them up? Maybe it’s because the taking-down part involves no sentimental journey like the putting-up part. ___ When we put up the Christmas tree, we usually listen to Christmas music, and the whole family enthusiastically pitches in. We share warm moments of togetherness as we gently unwrap special ornaments, recalling friends and family members who have blessed us in years past. ___ But when it’s time to take down the tree, there’s no sentimental music playing. There’s no family togetherness. In fact, everyone who’s smart hides. There are no warm memories of anyone. It’s not a family ritual; it’s hard work. And it’s depressing. ___ Even so, there’s a certain happy feeling that washes over me after everything is taken down and put away neatly in its place--and after the house is returned to its normal state. It’s not a pleasant process, but the end result somehow makes me feel ready for a new start in a new year. ___ Sometime it’s just harder getting started than others. ___Our new year started out with a whimper rather than a bang. New Year’s Day brought fever and a virus (not, thank goodness, the horrible seven- to 10-day flu that’s going around). ___First ALISON WINGFIELD Garrett, then Luke and then me. Mark has somehow dodged this one (so far). But you can be sure he’ll be really pitiful if he does. ___So, we do have an excuse for not shelving the Christmas stuff the first day of January. Growing up, that was when we traditionally started the takedown, savoring the holidays until the last possible minute. ___ I still remember our first Christmas together as newlyweds. We hardly had anything to put up, but we made do with a hand-me-down artificial tree and various ornaments from our childhood. Our little triplex in seminary housing didn’t have much room for anything else anyway. ___ I had to go back to work on the 26th, so you can imagine my chagrin when I returned home that night to find all of it taken down and put away. Mr. Type A personality thought he was doing something really sweet by taking down the tree and putting away our few ornaments and decorations without me. I swiftly corrected his disillusionment that he had done a good thing. ___ Mark started that new year in the dog house. ___ Now we have both mellowed and forged our own traditions. The good thing about this year is that I was actually tired of the decorations and ready for a new start. ___ Maybe Christmas provides important symbolism for us even in its last moments as we take down, clean up and prepare for something new. We can't linger around the Christmas tree, or the manger, all year long. There's more to the story and more to our journey. ___ Jesus himself said, "Behold, I make all things new." Mark Wingfield is managing editor of the Standard. Alison Wingfield is a freelance writer. The Wingfields moved to Texas from Louisville, Ky., where Mark had been editor of the Western Recorder, in which this column appeared weekly.

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