I went into the attic...

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In Newton, Iowa we had a beautiful Victorian home we had renovated into a showplace.  From the first week of November through the first week of January it was arrayed with Christmas paraphernalia..and not inflatable trashy crap either.

When we moved to Grandview we bought a very plain house.  It meets our needs, but it's not (nor ever should be) a showplace.  I have put minimal effort into decorating our house for the past five Christmases.

This year, for some reason, I wanted to put up more.  That meant getting into our attic and rummaging around in the multiple Christmas boxes.  In Newton we had two palates stacked with stuff.  Now we have about 10 boxes.

As I sorted through stuff and took inventory I was flooded with memories of past Christmases.  Some of them made me grin, others made me cry.  I was surprised at reaction and it gave me insight into why I had avoided those decorations for so long.

In the attics of our hearts I guess we also have boxes of stuff we avoid looking at. They spark memories, and for me, they beckon and demand action, sometimes painful action.

I like to think my little self-absorbed blog gave me the courage to get into the attic.  I am so happy I brought out what I did.  The garland and nativities are beautiful.  It has motivated me to pull out even more in the future.

I hope it motivates me to pull out even more stuff from my heart.

chris