Finding joy the day after Christmas, and all days that follow

Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house ... things were getting back to normal.

There's something of a lull on the day after Christmas, don't you think?

Exchanging a sweater in a store nearly sold out of sweaters just doesn't carry that Merry-Christmas thrill that shopping had only a week ago.

The day-after always feels a lot like work. There may be a house to clean, a long trip to be tackled or a stiff credit card bill looming just over the horizon.

And at least by my experience, even the food takes a bit of a blow. What was a feast 24 hours ago looks like leftovers today. We'll eat them, but it's just not the same.

It's not a case of bah humbug. It's more like a bah hangover.

Ahh ... the day after Christmas.

There was a very first day-after, of course, and it's given me cause to wonder what Mary and Joseph did after their first 24 hours with the Christ child.

It had been so dramatic, this child's entrance. Angels sang to shepherds, shepherds to their king, and for the first time since men lived in caves as a regular course, a baby had been born in the most primitive conditions imaginable.

If all you ever see is the Christmas-card portrait, it all looks rather magical. It feels peaceful and serene.

You know the image, I'm sure. Starlight shines on a contented baby fast asleep on what must be the most comfortable bed in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph look on with adoring eyes, neither one of them worse for the wear of their stressful journey. Mary looks incredible -- considering she's just been through labor and delivery! Even the animals in attendance look on with rapt attention, practically bowing with the shepherds in those first few hours of Christmas.

As the carol reminded us, "no crying he makes" and "no mess did the animals create." OK, I made that last part up, but who wants to put animal poop right in the middle of your nativity set?

Somewhere not long after the snapshot of history was burned into our brains, life returned to normal.

Mary would need food. They all needed a better place to stay. Shepherds had to return to work. Any livestock in the neighborhood returned to regular routines, and the angels disappeared from view.

No doubt, the family moved out of the cave into more suitable housing very quickly. By the time the magi arrived, they were in a house (see Matthew 2:11). I'm thinking they were in a house as soon the women of Bethlehem found out a poor girl had been forced to give birth in one of the shepherd's caves. Imagine the fury poured out on any men who might have turned such a couple away the night before!

By Day 8, they took the baby to Jerusalem, where he was circumcised and dedicated to God. Before long they would all be moving again, fleeing for the safety of Egypt before eventually returning to Nazareth. For nearly 30 years life had a predictable routine, until Jesus left home for his amazing -- and amazingly short -- ministry.

One unforgettable day followed by thousands and thousands of routine ones: This is life.

The routine of life follows the wedding day, graduation days and birthdays. There's a lot more of life in the long run than those picture-perfect moments that come and go so very quickly.

This means you'd better learn how to live well on the normal days.

Mary and Joseph had to figure out how they'd feed a growing family. Jesus had to go to school, learn a trade, master social skills and memorize Torah. The shepherds might have never forgotten the night the angels sang, but their flocks still needed daily care, starting immediately.

When any of these people lived with a good attitude on the regular days, they honored God as much as they had on that first Christmas. This is what makes good marriages, satisfying careers and life-long friendships. It's living well in the routine.

And so we, too, have come back to normal. Once again, 'tis the day after Christmas.

By all means, don't let the day-after letdown cause this day to slip past as if it were somehow less important than yesterday.

If there are children in your midst, play with them today! It might be too late to make a memory tomorrow. If there's a spouse in your house, find time to cuddle. If there are dishes to be washed, do it with cheer.

Who knows? If you live it with the right attitude, the day after Christmas might turn out to be pretty special, after all.

Andy Cook lives in Peach County and is the founder of Experience Israel Now.

This story was originally published December 25, 2015 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Finding joy the day after Christmas, and all days that follow ."