Teardown Day

The end of the Christmas season is officially heralded by the first night one drives up to his or her home and sees the Christmas lights have lost some of their luster.  The tree inside no longer has that fresh from the forest aroma.

When the tree first arrives, everyone wants to assist with the decorating. Stringing the tinsel, hanging the lights, and shoving the angel on top.  When the calendar rolls over to January, the enthusiasm seems to vanish like the last chord of a Christmas carol. 

Whereas in the decorating phase, each ornament is inspected and carefully placed, when bringing the tree down, it's a case of just trying not to break anything while shoving each family heirloom back into a box.