After countless trips to the storage unit, Christmas 2017 is packed away.  The house is no longer a winter wonderland; it looks just like it did on a typical day in October.

The children have all returned to their homes and the sound of Christmas Carols has been replaced with cheering football fans.

Today is the first day first day of a new year.  My husband is vowing to lose weight while I am vowing to remember my exercise routine. Somehow, I thought lifting those cookies out of the oven would improve my arms instead of weights.  I got confused.

Usually, the days after Christmas are a letdown for me. When I pack up the Christmas décor, I seem to pack up a little of my cheer as well.

As I write this, I realize I need to not only get back to the gym, but to go back to the storage unit and unpack the box that says, “Christmas Cheer.”

What if we all go get the Christmas Cheer out of the box, and make a resolution to use it daily? What if we take the season of sparkle and giving and install it in our hearts to use through the year? What if we sing “Joy to the World” first thing every morning?

The happiest people I know are the ones who do just that. They give of themselves all year and are filled with kindness, love and joy. They share, they don’t complain, they work to stay positive and are the first to help those who are less fortunate.

This last year I was so blessed to have all my family remain healthy. I was blessed to see many of my old friends at reunions and to see family that I had not visited in years.

It was a gift to continue with my writing and talking to each of you. My prayers were answered for the healing of precious folks in my life and I was blessed that children filled this house and my heart.

I laughed more than I cried, and I am grateful.

Many of you have had a rough year.  Many of you are suffering in silence or are screaming in pain.  Christmas Cheer was not part of your December in any way.  How I wish I could wipe it all away.   

I need to share more of my blessings to help wipe away that pain.  Isn’t Christmas about sharing and giving? Doesn’t the Christmas message mean to not just give on Dec. 25, but on Jan. 1 as well?  If we all reach out to help others more than we have before, then the pain will start to subside, and our cheer will be immeasurable and contagious.

  That resolution is sure better that some of my previous January resolves.

One of my past New Year’s resolutions was to read the entire Bible in a year.  I did.  Did I retain all of it?  No, of course not. I remember reading faithfully, but did I pull all the words into my heart? Probably God would have preferred me to take 10 years to read the good book, and use each sentence daily.   

One year I decided to get down to my pre-high school weight. I did. Afterwards, I flew to Florida to see my parents for a visit.   The minute my father saw me, he took me to Morrison’s cafeteria.  I ordered broiled fish and green beans.  He looked at me, then looked at the server behind the glass and said, “She will also have two of those rolls, a piece of that chocolate cake, and those sweet yams over there!”

After pointing to the yams, he pointed that finger at me and I won’t repeat what he said.  I will tell you, however, I cleaned my plate.

Sometimes we vow to do things that are not very wise.

It was good to read the Bible, but the lesson is to practice what the Bible teaches.  It was good to see those scales tell me I was thin, but not good that I was making myself sick, frail, and grumpy to boot.

Yep, I think I will go get that box of cheer and put it right here on my desk.  Already, my new year blues are fading.  Right now, I don’t mind hearing those cheering fans or seeing the house ‘’wonderland void.”

The real wonder of Christmas is not found in packed boxes, but in our hearts. The joy of Christmas needs to be shared all 365 days.   Thankfulness is the cure for the dreary days of a new year.

Prayer and helping others is the way to brighten lives, fill our souls and keep us cheering onward.

Joy to the World and Happy New Year to all of you!

Lynn Walker Gendusa is a former resident and writer who currently resides in Roswell. She can be reached at lwgendusa@bellsouth.net