Hello, fair readers,
I know it is becoming cliche to remark about the infrequency of these posts, but yowser, I haven't written since July? What is wrong with me? I do think longingly of taking to the keyboard to dump out my thoughts and musings in long-form, but I rarely do. You all don't want to read the mundane stuff, right? But, tonight, I have a lot on my mind, the least of which is that my daughter keeps leaving on all the lights.
As the myriad anxieties that have plagued my mind of late were stewing in my brain tonight, I decided to come down to the kitchen and get away from the charming snoring (love you, honey) for a bit and write about nothing in particular, just to see if writing could work out some of the restlessness. Actually, I was really coming for a snack and to lie on the couch, but I digress. Then, as soon as I reached the stairs, I noticed that the Christmas tree was still aglow. We usually put it on a timer, but we've been busy, even neglectful. Or even, flying by the seat of our proverbial Christmas pantaloons (which are red plaid, naturally).
The tree is roughly the eleventh source of electrical light that Eliana turned on, of her own volition, today, that she did not turn off. She left on her bathroom light (every time), her bedroom lights, my car's backseat light, two other auxiliary Christmas trees (we've got spirit; yes, we do!), and lights downstairs in the rec room, hall, and playroom. The kid must be getting a kick-back from Dominion Virginia Power. But, as I crossed the living room to tap the switch on the big tree, I paused. She is just dispelling darkness, all day long. As soon as she gets up in the morning, she plugs in a tree, even when she is supposed to be eating her breakfast and putting on her shoes. When she gets home from school, she'll hit the other ones. She lights the garland; she hums carols; she is enjoying the season. She is preparing her little heart for Christmas, kilowatt by kilowatt. I need to get on that train. For the love, if you are going to be stressed out and distracted this time of year, at least light the blessed tree.
You haven't heard from me; it's true. I have returned to Virginia in a bit of a funk. Gone is the excitement of experiencing a new place; gone is the novelty of being the quirky American in the room with a whole bunch of friends to make; gone is the freedom that comes with knowing you are in a temporary situation. Gone is the traffic. Just kidding. That's totally still here.
We're back! But, what now? We've been changed, but we're in the place where we started. It's overwhelming, the familiarity. It's haunting, the stuff that didn't resolve while we were gone. It's bizarre, the stuff that did. It's comical, the neighbors you finally meet, who didn't realize you were ever here in the first place. It's disorienting, trying to find your place when you're not sure what you should have left behind for good and what you should welcome afresh.
What have I worked out from all of that? Well, I think that I want to pretend I am here temporarily; really, aren't we all? There are so many museums, events, PEOPLE to see here that I haven't fully appreciated. Uh oh, this is getting to sound like a New Year's Resolution post. Ick. No, really. Just light the tree.
Merry Christmas.
And get some sleep. It's important.
