Countdown to 2008

Christmas is over. All the hustle, the cooking, the shopping, the decorating, the mailing, the partying - it's all over for now. It's back to life as usual, that's for sure. I visited Restoration Hardware today to hopefully buy a snow globe ornament for me to replace the one that I had given to a friend. When I walked through the door, instead of Christmas stuff on sale in the "lobby," there were cabinets, towels, and bath stuff everywhere. It was like Christmas never existed. And we had all just celebrated it the day before. Kinda shocked me. My friend said that at the Target near her house, all the Christmas holiday decorations were removed the Saturday before Christmas and replaced with Valentine's Day decorations. It's like we get all geared up for one day only and when that day is gone, it's gone and forgotten immediately, and, baby, we've moved on to the next money-making holiday. I think it's sad. I think Christmas should linger to the New Year and we should all continue to celebrate family and friendships, only in more peaceful and less-frenzied way. The week between Christmas and New Year's Day should be a time to ponder the year that is ending and the new one that is beginning. A whole week of reflection - imagine that.