Thank gawd that's over!
WHEW! I mean, I love Christmas just as much as the next gingerbread-craving, present-squealing, tryptophan-induced comatose plum-pudding eater, but, man, I'm actually glad to be going back to work this morning.
Yesterday I felt awful. Down in the dumps, feeling sorry for myself awful. Why on earth, after having such a wonderful Christmas, would I feel this way?
According to Google, Christmas letdown is perfectly normal. Part of the "what goes up, must come down" theory. The build-up to the big day is overwhelming. Not just the massive amount of work, but the expectation that Christmas is going to be peaceful and loving and absolutely perfect. No day can possibly live up to that kind of PR and, as much as you try to quell any expectations of perfection, there's a built-in perfecto-meter in our societal-manipulated brains that tells us otherwise.
Besides, I had been running myself ragged. The last two weeks were a blur of shopping, cleaning, baking and wrapping. On top of that, Dave's Aunt Edna died after a long battle with cancer. Dave and I both got nasty colds. And we had to work. So by the time Christmas Day came around, we were both running on empty.
When everyone left Christmas night, I couldn't help but get into the bawling.
"What's wrong?" Dave asked.
"Nothing," I replied, blubbering.
"Didn't you have a great Christmas? I know I did," he said.
"Yes, Christmas was great," I agreed. And started bawling again in earnest.
I napped on the couch for a couple of hours, then went to bed early. I slept in until 10 a.m. (unheard of for me), then went back to bed after lunch and slept until 4 p.m. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to go to sleep at bedtime, but at 9 p.m. I went to bed and slept the whole night through.
This morning I feel almost human.
It's snowing outside, beautiful fat fluffy flakes. My coffee is fresh and delicious. I've got leftover sugar cookies for breakfast and a hot bath waiting for me as soon as I turn off the computer. Now that I'm not exhausted, I can look back at Christmas and see it for what it truly was – a wonderful day to treasure and remember, long after the gingerbread is gone.
I hope yours was just as sweet as mine.
Having scaled down Christmas massively, the let down isn't as bad as it used to be. But yeah, I'd have that whole restless/depressed feeling starting around noon on the 25th. All the gifts were open and stacked under the tree, not looking as pretty and festive as they did wrapped. It's normal. Glad you got so much sleep and feel better!!
ReplyDeleteI do, JoJo, thanks so much! :)
DeleteIt happens! My wife caught a touch of something and she was wiped out for most of yesterday. Like you said, the build up and the crash.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're feeling human again.
I am HUMan, hear me roar!!!!! Hope Mrs. Alex is well soon, too!
DeleteBack to being a regular human. ;)
ReplyDeleteEr, well, I've always been a trifle irregular... thus the colonoscopy columns...
DeleteToo much all at once. It is all exhausting on top of our already normal busy lives. Happy you did have a great Christmas despite the exhaustion. I am still cleaning up from it all.
ReplyDeleteBleah, clean-up... it's times like this I want to hook the house up to a giant leaf blower and send it all flying into the river.
DeleteSleep knits the ravelled sleeve of care. It's the best thing in my repetoire. Have a wonderful new year.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's a good one, Joanne! Nice repertoire!
DeleteI am very happy you had a super Christmas! Moms ARE exhausted over the holiday, as it should not be. But it is what it is.
ReplyDeleteI actually love the end of Christmas. Unfortunately, other than my daughter, I am the person who *makes* Christmas happen. My hubbers is grinchy, and my son has had so much school work this year he didn't participate that much. I bought the tree, strung the lights (but never got around to putting on the decorations), baked the cookies, wrapped the presents, even my own (which I also mostly bought), and made whatever meals there were to be made. I'm happy to begin again with work and writing and *normality*. Next year I will definitely re-assess my role, and how much I do. I guess I would say my Christmas let-down started a week before the holiday even arrived, and as it got closer and closer, I got happier and happier.
I love the reverse happy scale going on at your house! I think next year I'll have something AWFUL happen at the beginning of December and then it'll all be roses from there up!
DeleteMoms definitely work too hard, by the way. I think we all need to go on strike.
A few years back when we both worked, my parents came for Christmas and his parents came for Boxing Day, I also had a massive melt down when it was all over....now....I'm prepared for Christmas WAAAAAAY ahead of time and when the kids leave I heave a sigh of relief that we can get back to normal (well okay, as close to normal as a nut case like myself can get). Glad to hear you got the scales balanced again.
ReplyDeleteI just wish the scales wouldn't balance so much on the HIGH side! ;)
DeleteI'm glad to hear things aren't quite as crazy at your house anymore. Looking forward to quieter days myself.
I felt it too, but mostly because my babies are gone to their dad's for a week. :( Glad you are feeling better, though! I am too. I am about to reorganize my studio and I know that will make me feel loads better!
ReplyDeleteAwww, that's terrible, not having your kids there. *hugs* Take comfort in knowing that, as they get older, they will love nothing better than having TWO Christmasses with DOUBLE the presents! For them, it's probably the only good thing about mom and dad being divorced.
DeleteOn the positive side, at least it was quiet, right? *more hugs*
Yes. I enjoyed today very much- I dressed to the nines in some new clothes that my mum had gotten me for Christmas, and met an old friend at the nearest Barnes and Noble to have a late lunch and catch up. Then I met mum at the mall and we went window shopping for shoes that will go with a steampunk costume I'm creating for a huge sci-fi convention this fall. :) It was nice not having to be back home by a certain time or look after the kids all day. I'll be glad when they are safely home, but I'm learning to use the free time I get in a positive way. :) :)
DeleteYay!!!!
DeleteJenny - hope there will be pictorial evidence of your needlework prowess ASAP! Hugs, honey!!!
DeleteCathy - have you seen her dressmaking? Awesome!!
We all felt terrible... then we realized that it was because of all the "crap" we ate... turkey, cookies, chocolate, my weight in fudge...
ReplyDeleteI always run on empty run to Christmas, so the day is a God send. I am on vacation of a few days and it is totally rejuvenating... I ran my 3 miles today and have gotten almost all the sugar out of my system...
It's a good time, but I'm so glad to be on to the new year.
I absolutely need to get back on that exercise bike. It's my New Year's resolution and I aim to keep it. Fudge begone!
DeleteI hear you on the running on empty front. I do it. I did it. And would still like about a fortnight's catch up sleep. A busy morning here - but a nap is looking WONDERFUL for the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that your Christmas was full of love and magic, and that you have recovered after running yourself into the ground. Typically (but not exclusively) a gender issue...
A gender issue - yup, pretty much! But we never learn, do we. We talk about scaling down but, when the holiday fever hits, watch out!!!! :0
DeleteFeeling run down? There's a nap for that.
ReplyDelete;-)
HA!!!!!!
DeleteMy wife had her down in the dumps before Christmas, so that was good in that it didn't happen after Christmas.
ReplyDeleteheheheheh ... we get it, coming or going...
DeleteWell, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones, I did a lot of my baking ahead of time, there is only the three of us now, me my husband and son so I don't have to entertain anyone else. We had a lovely three days together, christmas eve, day and boxing day before my son left to go to his home.
ReplyDeleteI think all the hype and all the work can be exhausting, but I am glad you had a wonderful time. ^_^ Let me take the opportunity to wish you and yours a very Happy and Safe New Year!
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And the same good wishes back to you, Helen! You are the Queen of Baking, after all (judging by your FB entries) and all of it looked absolutely scrumptious!
DeleteI crashed around boxing day after shopping all the deals on-line. Stayed in bed all day the 27th. It is nice to know other people suffer the x-mas let down also.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to know, isn't it? I felt remarkably better after googling Christmas letdown and seeing so much information out there.
DeleteMy family gave me the gift of sticking around too long after Christmas. That, compounded by all my doctor's visits, certainly killed the Christmas nostalgia before the weekend.
ReplyDelete*snort*
DeleteBut sorry about all the doctor's visits. Hope you start to feel better one of these days, John. *hugs*
All that effort - and now it's over! Actually, I over-catered (both in the food AND drink dept.!) so 'Christmas' will be with us in some shape or form for a while yet!
ReplyDeleteBeing just the four of us (we did all the family visits beforehand!), we battened down the hatches and pulled up the drawbridge and even switched off the TV! With DD's eyes out of commission last Christmas, we decided this year we would indulge in a board-games 'Olympics' - I have to say, she won the first three straight off! ;-p
Now in the 'bit between' Christmas and New Year I feel as though I'm treading water waiting to get to January, so I can take the decorations down and clear the place up properly!
Belated Christmas greetings, Cathy - and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! xxxxx
Considering a death in the family, that adds onto the general sense of letdown that happens naturally with the holiday.
ReplyDelete