I now have about 5 hours invested in my Christmas cards. Between the photo shoot, the card selection, the stamp purchasing, the photo attaching, the signing, the address list updating and now the hand addressing, the return address stamping, postage applying and stuffing... I am only on the letter H.
I have also spent time pondering the finer points of card etiquette...Is it Ok to send a card that says Merry Christmas to my precious Jewish and Hindu friends? Do I leave them off the list or get them a separate card or simply add on a greeting that honors what they are celebrating this season?
All of it leaves me reconsidering every year WHY I do this...especially now that I have a blog and facebook. People who are interested in keeping up with us have a few different ways to do so. Why do I spend this time on something that is stressful and expensive during a time of year that already has plenty of both?
The answer is simple: because I want to. I love paper. I love photography. I love handwritten notes. I love opening my mailbox this time of year to find envelopes stuffed with pictures of my friends' families. And truth be told, I do enjoy the sending. I enjoy the walk down memory lane as I write each name on the list--some are family, most are friends, all have been an important part of our history. I try to think about the specific recipient as I write their name and address and sign their card. In many regards I am truly sending well wishes as I seal each one and place it in the stack. That is, afterall, the point isn't it?
No more complaining. This is a stress and an expense that I choose--because it is meaningful--and hopefully with a renewed perspective, more enjoyable as well.
18 comments:
I simply LOVE getting Christmas cards. And I enjoy sending them too!
The picture taking, trying to get all 4 kids to smile at once -- that part not so much....
well....your cards & family are beautiful...just saying.
Chrystial- You made me giggle. I was just thinking I was going to send one to you at the store so you could see the finished product! :-)
I love the cards/pictures/letters, too. It keeps me connected to some of the most precious people in my life. What an investment to make in these relationships!
I want to encourage you in sending your cards. I don't know if I have said this before, but you will be especially glad you sent them years from now! Our family is working on our 22nd picture card- I am thrilled that I didn't miss any year since I started doing picture cards of our children. I also saved one from each year and am in the process of having someone frame them all-precious memories for our children to have. I also can't wait for the mail to arrive this time of year to see how many cards we have gotten that day! I love this post because I feel exactly the same way you do.
Yes, yes, yes. It's my favorite Christmas tradition that's just for me- I keep all the cards from the previous year and then match them up with the new ones when they come to see how everyone has changed- it's such a sweet walk down memory lane.
It would be a sad sad world without pretty paper and mailboxes- I don't care how technologically advanced we get.
Merry Christmas!
Ooh, I love cards so much. I worked so hard this year. I am so happy with my finished product, it is my fav card yet.
I have read your blog for YEARS and rarely comment! :-0 I'm currently on a mission to figure out what K, P & R stand for. :-) I'm dying to know! I had to comment on the card post. I have had the same experience with cards (time, cost, energy, etc.) over the years and the EXACT SAME THOUGHTS. And in the end...I feel the same way. It's an investment. I feel like I'm giving a piece of myself and my family to those near and dear to us when I do it. In the end...I'm always happy when the cards are out and I know they'll soon arrive in the mailboxes of friends and family members. And I believe they love receiving our card as much as we love receiving the cards of others. :-) Merry Christmas!
IT IS ALMOST MY VERY FAVORITE PART OF CHRISTMAS!!
December is the only month that I will run to the mailbox. Simply because I LOVE to get Christmas cards.
I also pondered the "Merry Christmas" for my Jewish friends...but then again I thought, well, I wouldn't be offended if they sent me something that said Happy Hanukkah.
I think that since it's YOUR holiday, send a card with YOUR preferred greeting. They can totally do the same back at ya - the wishes of good will are the same even if the holiday is different, you know? I've never been offended by a Happy Hanukkah card, etc.
I like the idea of writing a note that acknowledges the recipient's holiday...I think if I received a card from someone of another faith who wrote something to me about my own holiday, it would really warm my heart.
Getting Christmas cards is one of the best things about Christmas...catching up with old friends. Like you I have a love affair with stationery and I enjoy sending snail mail to my friends. In this busy day and age, it says you took the time to really think of them as you pick just the right card, sit down to write in your own hand(if it is good enough for the Apostle Paul it is good enough for me!lol) and then get it to the mail box! Keep up the good work Jen!
i meant to add that I have a scrap book of all the special cards I receive from year to year and we all enjoy looking at it. Wish I had started it yrs ago!
I love the cards, too... sending and receiving. This year, I tried to say a quick prayer for each family as I addressed their card. I was very deliberate about my addressing this year, rather than just trying to crank them out like I have in the past. Keep it up - you're right, people do love to receive them and it's nice to know you were thought of when you receive a card.
My mailbox has become lighter and lighter with Christmas cards over the years, but I continue to send them. I love sending out a new photo of K- every year.
Your Jewish/Hindu friends? If you have a Happy Holidays card, send it off. If not, they know that you aren't trying to convert them and chances are, they won't be offended.
every year i debate about whether it is worth {my time and the expense} sending out cards. and every year i still end up sending them out because i remind myself how much i love opening my mailbox to find a stack of cards!
I just have to chime in here and say that I'm also in the Paper Loving Club, and I can't imagine the Christmas season without sending or receiving cards. I agree with others who have said that it's a worthwhile investment of your time. (And at the risk of offending others, I have to commend you for hand-writing the addresses. It always disheartens me to receive a Christmas card with a computer-printed label. Just kind of detracts from the special-ness of it, in my humble opinion...)
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