Not only do I love to receive cards, but I also love to send them. Last year I sent a Christmas "newsletter" to those people who I only keep in touch with at the holidays. I really debated about whether or not to do that because I've always hated Christmas newsletters. It always seems in the past when I've gotten them, people make their lives out to be soooo wonderful and everything is just peachy keen and "oh, don't you wish you had my life"ish. Last year was full of a lot of stuff for me--turning 40, getting engaged, quitting my job, planning a wedding, getting ready to be married and live with someone forever after living alone for close to 40 years, quitting smoking (even if it turned out to be briefly), gaining weight from quitting smoking. I covered it all because I really I strove to make mine honest--the good, the bad and the ugly--because truly, isn't that what all of our lives are made of? Hopefully I succeeded.
Even bigger things happened to me this year--getting married, selling my house, starting a marriage, becoming part of a family complete with 3 stepchildren. That's big stuff, people! I didn't send one out though. I thought about it because of all of the things I just mentioned, but this year I decided to take advantage of the fact that I am part of a family now. Our card had pictures of our wedding on it. I figure this is the only year that it's acceptable to send those pictures out and by God, I'm taking advantage of it. Plus, for those who couldn't come to the wedding or who did come but didn't get to see the pictures, I thought they would enjoy them. Turns out I was right. I've already heard from several people who didn't know we were getting married or who just plain enjoyed seeing the wedding pictures.
So that's what my days around the holiday are about--longingly, expectantly going to the mailbox each day hoping a card arrives with someone's name on it that I know and love. Hope yours is in the mail!
