"Charlie Brown" Christmas music is silently playing inside my head while I sit in the living room observing a tree loaded with lights but void of presents, gifts scattered around wing-backed chairs, the dog asleep at my feet, and an icy, wintry mix pelting the window panes.
A melancholy feeling surrounds my soul each Christmas following the unwrapping of gifts and the consumption of Monkey Bread (which is now nothing more than a few crumbs and hardening caramel on the platter).
I'm not sure if this feeling is because anticipation has dissipated or time has eradicated the sense of Christmas direction once present distribution and Christmas morning has passed.
Analyzing doesn't' change things. It's good to know the feeling always fades upon further reflection thanks to holiday magic and the enchantment of family.