Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Another holiday season bites the dust



Ah. Christmas is done. (long, slow sigh). Thank god. I'm a lot better with the holidays than I used to be, but they are still very difficult, no matter how I spin it. But it's OK. It's done now. Just one more holiday, after which 2012 (a great year for me) will be toast. Bring it on.

Like Thanksgiving, my Christmas this year was very quiet. It was beautiful in DC, chilly but not cold. There was no wind and lots of sunshine. I took a long walk this morning, marveling at the empty streets. Everything was closed this morning except the odd mom and pop corner store - everything - even the Smithsonian museums. It is the one day of the year they're closed.

Who says this isn't a Christian country? C'mon.



Tomorrow everything will be open and bustling again. I like the almost spooky deserted streets on Christmas day, but I'm in essence a city dweller; I enjoy the bustle, too. Tomorrow I'll see families wandering around Eastern Market, and lots of people with rolling suitcases, coming up from as well as entering the subway. A handful of folks will go to work, too, I suppose.

These days I approach the holidays with a much more open mind than I used to. I would welcome a really fun and heartwarming experience of the holidays, but in fact, in the aftermath what I feel this year - and every year, to be honest - is happiness and relief.

Onwards and upwards to New Year's Eve. Shalom.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Made me smile about the spooky and deserted streets - even on Christmas Day our park was spooky and deserted. I thought there would be lots of children riding new bikes and flying kites, or radio-controlled devices in the air or on the lake - nothing! Guess everyone is inside with electronic games and Skyping!
Thinking of you across the seas Reya, with that keen photographic eye of yours - you've had some superb photos this year, and given me much to think about! - the crowds will start to bustle soon enough!

tut-tut said...

Cheers for a great and peaceful 2013, Reya.

Tom said...

beautiful stuff. Christmas is over, but we always seem to be celebrating something in this country...

Rose ~ from Oz said...

I found myself awake and up 2 hours earlier than anyone else in the house - I went outside, it was 7.00am and stood on the pretty suburban family oriented footpath and looked, and then intently listened. Nothing. Just nothing. Like Pam, I was waiting for the sound of children - doing something...... the dogs didn't even bark. I asked myself if it really was Christmas. It was eerie and strange.