Together on the Journey:
A Weekly Blog 

I am writing this early in the morning on January 7; and as I look out my window into the darkness, I see a sheet of ice reflected in the streetlights. Yesterday afternoon, evening, and overnight, we had freezing rain in Toronto. And while I admit it’s very pretty to see the lights reflected off of the ice, I worry how on earth I’m going to get Annie to daycare this morning with the sidewalks as treacherous as they are, and I wish I could stay in my snug warm house, surrounded by my Christmas decorations.

Our tree came down last week. We got our real tree early this year, and my wife and I both thought it was becoming a bit of a fire hazard. Plus our cat, for reasons known only to him, would not stop drinking the tree water; so we took the tree down before Epiphany. My 3-year-old was very upset by this. She loved the tree and didn’t really grasp why it couldn’t stay. It is currently hidden in the backyard behind the deck awaiting tree pick-up, so she doesn’t see it and get upset all over again.

It’s hard when we exit Christmas, not just for 3-year-olds but for all of us. It’s sad to see the decorations come down, and to know it will be a whole year before we put them up again.

This is why I tend not to take things down all at once. Today, as winter rages outside, I am comforted by our felt candy cane garlands and our wooden nativity, the one that never looks right because Annie likes to move the figures around. And as I look at these reminders of Christmas, I am reminded not to rush. In fact, I am reminded to linger here.

The birth of Jesus is still new, only 13 days old as I write this. As a mom, I can assure you that a 13-day-old is still a newborn indeed. So let us take a breath and continue to marvel at the miracle, so that in the lingering, we can take the miracle of Christmas with us through the rest of the year. Amen.

– Jess