Where I used to live, it snowed only once every few years... so
I wasn’t prompted to think of Christmas by the weather at all.
Often the first intimation of the holiday season would be an
early Christmas card in the mail - or Hanukkah card, some years.
...Some very organized person (or someone with a genteel amount
of time on her hands, whose handmade greetings arrived to
brighten my spirits) helped to draw me into the
holiday spirit by dipping into it herself.
For many folks, holiday season communications are pure
delight to send and to receive - especially if it’s the only
time of crossing paths with someone who’s nevertheless greatly
cared about.
Even if we do keep in touch throughout the year,
end-of-the-year messages have a tendency to be more
contemplative and upbeat - and that’s something to look
forward to, if you ask me.
But it certainly sneaks up quickly! And there always seems to
be so much else to get done...
Sadly, some people have come to positively dread
"having to" do holiday cards - it’s so much work.
You used to want to, you now feel you ought to -
but how to fit it in with everything else and still get some
enjoyment from it? ...I have some suggestions:
First, think about paring down the list. No, I don’t mean
"favor only special people with the attention, and
let others feel left out"! I mean...
- Consider not sending them to the people who are peripheral
in your life. Do you really need to send/give them to
everyone at work, for instance? You’ll be able to wish
them "Merry Christmas" ("Happy
Solstice", etc.) in person, after all. Or all the
neighbors, if you’re going to have an open house?
- Consider not sending them to people to whom you’re going
to also give a gift - may not that be greeting enough? Say
what you want when you hand it over, or write it on a gift
tag.
- Consider not sending them to people who you think might
feel burdened by the need to return the "favor".
(A clue: they never send cards themselves and never react to
yours - or do so perfunctorily.)
Then, don’t set yourself up to have so much to do in getting
the cards ready to send. Even if you decide on handmade
greetings,
- Consider postcards rather than folded cards - there isn’t
nearly as much space to fill up with writing! (Nor so much
expense in the sending.)
- Can the kids make and send the cards? If so, let 'em! -
the receivers will be charmed.
- Consider computer-generated cards, customized photo cards,
or mass-produced,
thorough Christmas letters - they can always be personalized
with a few sentences in your handwriting.
- Consider a New Year’s letter - that gives you a
lot more time! (end of January?). ...And allows you to
reflect, if you wish, on the holidays themselves, just past.
- And definitely consider making up pre-printed address
labels (and using pre-printed "from" address
labels too). They allow you to save a lot of time... Which
you can more constructively spend on writing out a
heart-felt note that will be appreciated far more than your
address handwriting (cramped as it may be by the time you’re
halfway through your list!).
See what you think about these further ideas:
