Put the decorations away..... well, maybe.

For most, this is about the time of year where you put a brown remnant of a Christmas Tree by the curb, rebox half broken and the new glass bulbs, throw out the half light strings of lights, and clean up after the Holidays.  For some it is a huge undertaking, comparable to spring cleaning.  For others, the decoration is on a much smaller scale. That would be me. The Nativity scene is a small one that sits on my book shelf, and does not get hidden each year. It reminds me of another day when younger, I wondered about that little hut and the characters depicted inside.  What did that mean?  As I grew up, Mom and Dad were not religious, so I was always mildly inquisitive.  I had small hints along the way, but never really understood faith.  I do remember the underlying reason for the Holidays, even though not practiced in my home, it was shared abundantly on the Farm in Limestone where I spent all of my summers.  I remember Aunt Angie and Uncle Richard being very determined in their faith, and instilling that in my cousins.  That was my first experience to the nativity scene, which I would spend hours staring at, and moving pieces around like they were my GI Joe figures..... Later in years I would understand who those figurines represent, and how that became important to me, so long story short, my nativity scene stays put on top of the book shelf year around.... because I like the reminder.