Friday, December 16, 2011

So come dance this silence down through the morning

It's a gray afternoon.

I suppose it's been a gray afternoon for days, but that's winter in Seattle - a few months full of sleepy sighs as clouds blur into skyline, and bleary eyes whenever the sun pokes its head out from under the covers for a few hazy minutes before burrowing away again.

I'm feeling pretty gray myself today, a little fuzzy around the edges. It's Christmas time, and while I always tend to get a little sad around the holidays - blame nostalgia, the slowness of limbs and thinking in the cold, the seeming hourlessness of the days as the year ends and plenty of time to reflect on life and the ending of things - I usually get with the spirit of things. But I'm just not feeling it this year, and that saddens me even more. Normally, I dig under the bed for the box of lights and ornaments within the first few days of December, giddy to sprinkle a bit of Christmas around the windows and bring home the smallest fir tree I can find to fill the apartment with it's wintry perfume. This year, it took me until yesterday to dig and sprinkle, and I had to drag my butt to do it.

Maybe some switch went off with turning 25. That sense of innocence is so pervasive during the holidays - I know its there because I've felt it before - but what I feel more acutely right now is its absence, like a tangible loss. I'm not a child anymore by anyone's standards (the exception being if they see my behavior when at Disneyland), and that stings a bit. But really, this is nothing new, not to me or to pretty much anyone old enough to notice such things. Maybe reading some Salinger would be soothing if only to commiserate, but maybe I should just suck it up. Maybe I should take down one of the stockings hung with care on the bookshelf (I don't have a chimney, and besides, the bookshelf fits us better if we're using symbols here), place it on my foot, and give myself a Christmas kick in the butt. (Side note: I've said "butt" twice, three if you count just now, and it makes me giggle - maybe I'm still a child after all. Butt butt butt.)

I have my health, my friends, my family. My boyfriend is made of magic and my cat loves my lap. My apartment, finally dressed in its Christmas best, is mad cute. I'm writing again. And drawing! (Get ready for some hilarious canvas-based presents, buddies.) If I get sad sometimes, that's okay, because it leaves my silliness and my love for all of these things intact. And when I stand in the kitchen doorway framed by Christmas lights, I can't help but feel a little glow.

So if today's a bit gray - well, gray is my favorite color, anyway.

3 comments:

  1. I would never have said my favorite color is gray but in both reading this blog yesterday and writing this today I am wearing gray shirts. And my last 2 purchases at Kohl's have been gray tops! Weird...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Every time I see something gray, I think of you. I still think about that beautiful, gray cocktail dress you tried on an Urban Outfitters and *still* think you should have bought it. ;) It looked amazing on you.

    Fall and the start of winter is the time for slowing down and letting lethargy take hold every now and then. And we've all felt our excitement of Christmas dwindle over the years, as we've gotten further away from childhood. I'm sure you will find new ways to get excited about the holidays, especially when you finally start having Christmas at your own apartment (or future house)!

    You can start by sharing a picture of your baby fir with us!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You forgot your Counting Crows tag... and though commiserating with Holden has it's nostalgic benefits, there is another 25 year-old whose Christmas spirit has been a bit lacking as of late and who is available to commiserate anytime. ;)

    ReplyDelete