Goodbye, Christmas

Our Christmas tree was the very last Christmas decoration taken down and packed away, and tonight we finally finished. We have a handful of generic ornaments, but the vast majority of them have special meanings - ornaments given to each other, from other family members, or from our childhoods. My mother gave me this Yellow Submarine ornament when I was 15 years old and at the very height of my personal Beatlemania (I was a few decades late by most of the world's standards). Decorating the tree is by far my favorite holiday tradition - I love unwrapping everything, recognizing all my favorite ornaments, and picking the best place to put them on the tree. It makes me sad to see them packed away... but I look forward to seeing them again next year.