I spend a lot of time preparing my holiday cards. Usually they are handmade and include a family photo and a yearly newsletter (though this year, with Facebook, most of my family and friends have been kept up to date on our family happenings). I put a lot of effort into my cards and I'm usually proud of them. But every year I get the "Wow, you must have a lot of time on your hands....." No I don't....it would be much easier to buy some cards and slap our names at the bottom...but for me...a Christmas card is kinda special..it's a wish for the season, a holiday hug in cardstock form. I put love into them.
I'd love to share my cards with everyone I know, but each year I struggle with my Christmas card list. Of course there are the must sends- family and my close group of friends. They always get cards no matter what. But what about the others? Everyone has at least a handful of people that you just aren't sure if you should send a card to. You recall the last year when you sent them a card and one came from them afterward....and you wonder if they only sent one because they received one from you. Did they feel obligated because you spent your 40-whatever cents for a stamp plus the cost of the card?? Or were they just late in mailing their cards last year?? Do I send one and do this all over again this year??? I sure don't know!!
What I do know is that this time of year is special. The preparation gets blown out of proportion sometimes with all the shopping and money and all that....but when it comes right down to it....the cards, the simple wishes, the time spent with family....it's all so amazing. The smiles on my kids faces when decorating the tree and the joy of driving around at night and looking at the illuminated houses. Not one of us knows how long we have on this earth and I chose to see the holiday season as a time of family and togetherness.....and my cards are just a small token of my love and appreciation for those in my life.
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This year I got some adorable cards and each one in the box is different- all 3D and super awesome. And I included a picture of the three of us in Egypt so I'm hoping that makes up for just the couple sentences in each card. My husband doesn't help much with Christmas so it's up to me to buy all the presents, wrap them, do the cards, and often send the presents too.
ReplyDeleteThere's only one of me!
I'm fixing and sending my cards this weekend! I wish I could make my own but my classes have finals the same week that is best to send out Christmas cards so I usually just buy some and try to write a nice message inside. I think it's great you can spend extra time with your holiday cards :)
ReplyDeleteI always love getting your cards and another friend or two who also put some real time into creating them.
ReplyDeleteWe all have the same amount of time in the day it is just a matter of making the choices to do with that time what you feel is meaningful and worth while.
I don't ever look down on people who buy cards...I know how crazy hectic some people's lives are. I know how lucky I am to have the life I do, being able to stay home with my kids and pursue my writing career.
ReplyDeleteAnd some bought cards are really really beautiful!!
Just me personally, I like to do what I do and I make the time to do it...even if that means we have no clean dishes for one day! :)