The day after Christmas, I always get a little sad.

The month-long culmination of house-decorating, baking, gift-buying, traditions, and get-togethers all over in just blink.

I cannot fail to mention how this year was different for us all: less frenzied, fewer places to go, quieter.
What is always left is the clean-up. The stuffing of all that wrapping paper into garbage bags, tinsel and glitter swept up, cookies crumbs wiped, gifts put away into rooms and closets, trees and decorations taken down.

We put our Christmas spirit away, too.
But we don't have to.
A few days before Christmas, our debit card wasn't working at the store and we didn't have any cash on us. The lady behind us was lighting-quick to pull out her wallet and insist on paying for our stuff.

When we got home, a huge stack of split wood was sitting on the side of our driveway. "Merry Christmas!..." our neighbor announced with a smile, "...That pile is for you!"

Our generosity, kindness, and cheer doesn't need to be cleaned up after Christmas but rather multiplied with intention.

Find someone, anyone, to extend some post-holiday joy to. A phone call, smile, or funny gif goes a long way.
Check on those people in your life who are alone, who are ill, who lost someone, who didn't see their family, even the ones who are smiling in the photos but it doesn't quite reach their eyes.

The magic of Christmas doesn't have to end on December 25th.
It lives on because of those of us who continue throwing it like confetti.

On December 26th and beyond.

***Shared from my blog: Faith in the Mess