It’s time to put the Christmas decorations away.
Ugh. I feel like I just put away all of those empty storage totes back in storage. Now it’s cold and it’s dark in there, and there are cobwebs, and I have to go get them again to put all of that stuff in them, and then take them back to the storage unit! Ornaments, candles, decorative trees, tablecloths, greenery (so much greenery!), two artificial Christmas trees, tree skirts, wreaths…
Every year before Christmas, I vow to only put out a minimal amount of shiny red and gold and green things. I tell myself not to buy anything new. I make a pact with myself to go through the totes and toss, donate, or sell.
After Christmas, I curse myself for buying something new (this year- these pretty tin trees!), I don’t throw a single thing away, and end up just stuffing everything into a tote to hide it until next year.
It’s exhausting to think about, let alone do. But I will do it anyway.
I’m not giving any advice here about storing your Christmas decorations or anything actually practical. I’m here to tell you why I go to the effort every year to make my house amazingly Christmasy. (Even though I regret it in January.)
So why do I do it?
I do it because I am a homemaker. And maybe that’s all I am. But here’s why that’s enough.
I am a stay-at-home mom so I am home all day, making a home. That means cooking, cleaning, and laundry. But it also means making my home a comfortable, loving place for my family. It means making our home their haven. It’s the place they long to be all day long at school or work. It’s safe and warm. It has that familiar home smell (in our house that’s a mixture of cinnamon and dog). Their favorite snacks are in the drawer and their bedrooms have pictures of their friends on the wall and their favorite pillow is on the bed. They can take off their shoes, put on sweats, and lay on the couch. They can be completely themselves.
And yes, it can be monotonous to take care of your home day in and day out, with no coworkers to talk to. But the ordinary things we do every day bless our families just as much as earning money at a job. Each act of service we do in our home can be done for God’s glory, and what could be more important than doing that?
Creating this environment is my life’s work. It’s an expression of love. Homemaking is an outlet for your creativity, an opportunity to forge strong relationships with your family, and a way to make God the center of your life.
“Homemaking is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, mines, cars, government, etc. exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes? … The homemaker’s job is one for which all others exist.” C.S. Lewis
So that includes putting up and taking down decorations for each season. Even though it’s a giant pain.
