Why send Christmas cards?

They start coming the week of Thanksgiving. Cards arriving from people we see everyday and some we haven't seen in years.  The competition begins.  Who gets a card and who doesn't.  Especially if we want to stay on their list.  

As November moves into December, the days pass and the list gets longer.  You haven't started your list, picked out a photo or started writing the Christmas news letter.   You start to panic.  Along with Christmas shopping, decorating, school, work and church Christmas parties  you think, when am I going to have time to write Christmas cards?  Some how most of us manage to get them done although some delay long enough to make it a "NewYear's" Card.  It is usually either automated by printing address labels and simply signing the card or having your kids get in on the act.

As crunch time gets closer, there is "the decision".  Do you have to send a card to someone you don't really know/ like/remember and if so do you have to personalize it or can you just sign it and send it.   This is a bigger and bigger decision every year.  After all we are all busier than ever and of course jt costs almost 50 cents to mail the darn thing. Is this person really worth it? 

The other questions is do you really have to send a card to someone you see every day/week?  They know what is going on in your life. They were sitting next to you at the band concert/football game/PTA meeting.  you are unlikely to tell them anything they didn't already know. So why waste a stamp on them just because they were crazy enough to mail something when they live three blocks away? Will you lose face if you don't reciprocate when they send you a card?  Will you feel like you have to make an excuse like you are boycotting the mail service for raising the price of stamps so you aren't sending cards on principle?

Here is where the Grinch's heart grows three sizes one day.  Step back and think what a difference taking the time to hand write a note to that person you don't really know or care about?  Maybe they have been laid off or lost a loved one and maybe you don't even know about it. If you do know that they have had a hard year, what would a word of encouragement do for their spirits? What would it do for yours knowing you made a difference?  After all if you are going to spend 44 cents to mail the card you may as well get your money's worth.

Will I hand write all my cards this year?  Probably not, especially if I want the recipient to be able to read it. Any of you who have gotten cards from me before know what I mean. What I will do is make sure the person I am sending it to knows that I was thinking about them for the few minutes that I scribble a few thoughts to them that someone, somewhere cares for them.

If you don't get a card from me either one of two things happened. Either we keep in touch enough that you don't need to know what I am doing or what I am up to or post man couldn't read my writing.