This morning I finished my stack of Christmas cards. Putting that last stamp on that last envelope felt like crossing the finish line at the end of a marathon.
It might sound ridiculous to have such a love-hate relationship with holiday greeting cards, because the painful process is totally self-induced. We send out about 150 cards each year to family and friends in 14 states from Oregon to Ohio and all points in between. I’ve never missed a year since we’ve been married… and my list keeps growing.
Further, I refuse to to a mail merge and let my computer print the address labels. I insist on addressing them all by hand. It took the better part of my weekend to get them all addressed, stamped, stuffed and sealed — this year, neither of my little elves wanted to help. It was also no small effort to update my address list; I lost track of how many people moved within the last year or so!
It bothers me how few people include letters or even quick updates with their holiday cards. Yes, pictures are great, but I would love even just a short paragraph of highlights from their year. True, most of that information is included on Facebook these days. But there is nothing I love more than sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and going through Christmas letters from my family members — especially those who are not on social media.
One of my favorite letters to get every year was from my grandparents. My grandmother would type it out on a typewriter; top half for her, bottom half for my grandfather, starting with “Allyn writes:” Sadder almost than his death last January was receiving her Christmas card with just one signature last year. We do miss him immensely.
It shouldn’t surprise people that as a writer, I love writing our Christmas letter. This year, I just included a few quick bullet points from our year, including Zac’s entry into the Marine Corps, activities the girls are up to and a rundown of our trips and vacations. More than just an annual greeting, these cards serve as a family history of sorts. I’ve kept copies of all of our cards and letters dating back to 2003; someday, I’ll put all the information together into books for our kids. Fun to see how much they change year to year.
As I finish patting myself on the back and congratulating myself for getting the cards in the mail before Dec. 24, I happen to look around at the pile of laundry waiting to be folded and the stack of gifts yet to be wrapped. Of course there are also shelves to be dusted, groceries to buy and meals to prepare. If I start to outline my complete “to-do” list, I’m going to have a holiday heart attack. So I suppose that’s my cue to get moving and check some items off that list. But please, keep the Christmas letters coming!