Have you noticed that you get fewer
Christmas cards today than you did twenty or thirty years ago? I have, but I’m
not surprised because it’s been several years since I sent out cards.
Years ago, it was my Thanksgiving mission
to address some 75-80 cards; often I tucked in the much-criticized Christmas
letter. Most years I got cards from friends of my parents or aging relatives,
and the year the card didn’t come, I knew they had passed on. My list dwindled,
changed.
I gradually shortened my list, cut out
the letter, and finally quit. No more rushing to Hallmark on December 26 to buy
next year’s cards at half price. I think there are several reasons—ten years
ago I became a blogger, and friends who read my blog keep up with me and my
children. My handwriting has gone south as I age, and truthfully Christmas
preparations seem to take more and more time. And I don’t even cook Christmas
dinner any more—we either do it as a family, when we have Alter Christmas, or I
am a guest at a child’s home where I pitch in but am surely not responsible for
the entire dinner. I remember the days when we opened presents, cleaned up the
mess, and then the kids went to a movie while I cooked dinner.
But I digress. I was talking about
Christmas cards. I treasure those I get, especially Christmas letters (I do
like to keep up with friends) and those family pictures. I don’t think back in
the day we ever considered sending pictures of our family at Christmas. It’s a
lovely custom. The dwindling of cards is to me just another beloved tradition
that is going away—someday it will be as old a memory as wearing white gloves
to church (yes, I’m that old—I remember wearing them).
These days I sometimes respond to
special cards with an email message. But if you send me a card and don’t hear
from me, please know that I am grateful to have the card, and I send you my
best wishes for blessings of the season.
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