“Are you okay?” my 12-year-old asks. We’re in the car, heading to the gym so he can lift weights and play basketball. My plan? To head to the neighborhood pub for a lonely glass of wine while he’s busy sweating.
“Why do you ask that?” I answer.
“I don’t know, you seem kind of quiet? Maybe a little sad?”
“No, honey, I’m actually really good. I’m quiet, but in a good way.”
“Good.”
“Actually, I think I like Boxing Day even better than Christmas Day.”
“Yeah, me too. I mean, I like Christmas, but it’s so busy. And what if your parents said you were getting a car and then what they really meant was a matchbox car, and the kid thought it was a real car, and they would be so disappointed!” And then he chuckled for a long while.
(If it’s one thing I’ve learned from having kids, it’s that the prevalence of non sequiturs in daily life is an absolute necessity in the ongoing fight against ennui and political angst.)
Matchbox car daydreams aside, I think he got what I meant about Boxing Day. It’s a quiet day. It’s a sigh. It’s not spending money (except maybe on one glass of Cabernet Sauvignon). It’s reflection. It’s maybe turning on Christmas tree lights, maybe not. It’s trying to finish the book you’ve been reading so you can move on to the new books you received from Santa Claus. It’s checking your work email and feeling invigorated rather than burdened.
It’s realizing that in a few short days, literally short ones, the old year would click over and a fresh year would appear ahead, snow-white and waiting for footprints. I suck at making resolutions, but I am fantastic at recognizing the value of a stretch of unmarred snow, blank pages in a new journal, an unopened box of pens, a new brown leather bag large enough to hold your laptop (okay, maybe I bought more than a glass of wine on Boxing Day).
So while I might be a little quiet today (probably a reaction to talking to so many people yesterday), I’m pretty damn happy about it. I’m both looking forward and honoring the past in a way that’s only possible during this one week of the year. It’s a good feeling.
Matchbox cars vs real cars and the crushing disappointment, and the odd path to hilarity, when the two are confused. It’s all related, right?
What about you? What do you love about Boxing Day?
Andi Diehn 
For years , it was the day our cousins came to celebrate , it was ” Christmass day 2 the sequel ” so ” boxing ” in its tittle took on a different flavor to the day lol .Now it seems to be left for the dust to settle , not totally picked up all of the Christmass , carnage , something is enevitably missing , this year its my phone ! joy ! It’s the day when my charlie and i actually take the time to look at each other and say ” hello” I too look forward to 2017 ,2016 , has been quite horrendous and i am overdue for something joyous to be . so hugs to all of you and yours Andi lets bring on a shiny new yea !!!
Happy New Year, Nancy! I hope you find your phone!
I like the new format and, as usual, love seeing what you have to say. I wish you mentioned titles of the books you are reading. Always looking for ones to add to my list.
Oooh, a book post! That’s a terrific idea for tomorrow.