For me it wouldn't be Christmas
without holiday greetings. Given
I love all things paper, receiving
a beautiful card from a wonderful
friend is the best present of all.
Sadly it seems that many reject
this noble yet genteel form of
contact. Nothing is sadder than
the idea that someday my snail
mail box might be EMPTY.
While many view the act of sending
a holiday card a tedious obligation,
I consider it a lovely rite of passage.
In the old days this physical gesture
of acknowledging one's connection
was deemed a compliment. Being
the recipient of a personal greeting
made one feel special. The simple
fact that some one cared enough to
reach out during the holidays was
not only touching, it was the paper
equivalent of a heartfelt hug or at
least a genteel tip of a friend's hat.
In my youth Ethel could separate the wheat
from the chaff simply by simply looking at a
holiday card. An engraved tidbit from Cartier,
Mrs. Strong, Tiffany, or even Brett was subtly
suitable. Whereas a glitter encrusted missive
from Hallmark or American Greetings usually
came from the paper boy or cleaning lady.
Somewhere along the way we lost our way
and now the few cards one receives have no
sense of panache or credibility - good or bad!
While I am the first person to adore engraving,
I truly abhor printed names or signatures on
holiday cards. Even worse, an address label
stuck onto an envelope is an affront to one's
senses. If you don't want to take the time to
treat me as an individual, please cross me off
your list. Whatever you do, please do not copy
me on a thousand person e-mail (especially
the one about bad holiday sweaters). I've one
word for that type of holiday hi - "DELETE."
While I certainly cherish my family photos,
there are few times when I feel the need to
personally own one of yours. For whatever
reason the holidays drive many one hardly
knows as individuals (let alone their related
offspring) to chronicle each year with a new
family photograph. I've decided there must
be some odd Christmas portrait competition.
Otherwise why would one purposefully put
their self in such compromising positions?
Do me a big favor, NEVER meter your
postage on a personal missive. Not only
is it ugly, it transforms a kindly contact
into a business solicitation. A carefully
chosen holiday stamp, properly affixed
to the upper right hand corner of a nice,
thick envelope shows you care. Maybe
I'm old fashioned but I consider that a
badge of honor symbolizing your effort
to reach out and acknowledge me!
In the end, any extra effort touches my heart.
You see, the holidays were never supposed
to be about impressing people. Rather their
purpose is to celebrate a gift of love. In our
temporary world few care about leaving a
legacy. Our need for immediate gratification
has sadly erased most tried and true forms of
connectivity. Along the way we've forgotten
that a simple act like sending a card delivers
a memory one can cherish in the future.
