Saying Goodbye to the Chaos and Welcoming Routine
I’m always a little sad when the holiday season ends.
I never really know how to say goodbye to it — to the rhythm of the chagim. The house buzzing with people coming and going, long meals that stretch late into the night, and that particular kind of chaos that somehow feels like home.
The laundry is (mostly) done. New dishes were tried. Family fights were had (because what’s a holiday without a few of those?). Beds were made, unmade, and remade. Guests were entertained. Mahjong tiles were shuffled. Decorations were hung. Conversations were had — the kind that linger.
This chag had its highs and lows. There was the pure joy of seeing hostages reunited with their families — and the heartbreak of those still waiting to come home. There were new recipes that earned a permanent spot on the roster (apple leek garlic confit and red lentil soup, I’m looking at you) and a few that won’t be making a return appearance.
And now the house is slowly emptying. College starts next week, and the big kids are packing up, heading back to their lives and their worlds. The chairs are pushed in neatly again. The fridge is less chaotic.
I never quite know how to end this season. So I don’t. I let it linger — in the smells still hanging around the kitchen, the laughter tucked into the corners, and the quiet that follows a house well lived in.