A Little Bitta Humbug

I love Christmas. The lights, the shopping, the wrapping, the wishing. On a trip to NYC last week, I was in heaven with all the decorations (see photo at right taken outside of Macy's flagship store).

But here's one of my few Christmas pet peeves--people who send photo greeting cards with nothing else on them. Just the picture and the preprinted holiday wish. Even more offending is when the return and mail to addresses are printed labels, because you know I check that.

I don't want Christmas cards that came off the assembly line. If you are too tired, busy, haggard to write a simple one-liner like "Hope your holidays are merry! Love, xxx", then please don't send one to me. Save the cost of the stamp (no small amount these days) in a special jar marked "massage" or "pedicure" or "therapy". Clearly you need some you time.

Why do I dither about this? Because Christmas cards should be a little gift that you send to those you care about. Folks spend lots of time getting just the right family photo and selecting the ideal coordinating "frame" from Kodak or Target or Walmart, but then don't have time to handwrite a sentiment?

What's the point, I say? Just send me a group email with the photo attached instead. Has the same amount of personal touch. Plus, that will free up the postal workers so they can deliver the packages that I paid extra shipping costs on to get to the receipient on time.

Not that I think I'm perfect. There have been years I haven't sent any holiday cards. Last year I only made it through the letter H in my address book. (Note: if your last name begins with the letter A-H and you did not get a card from me last year, please forgive. I still have many of my friends still filed under their maiden names. Or, maybe I had your address on a slip of paper and it's somewhere in my desk instead of in my address book.) But the ones I do send, when I send them, have at least a sentence or two, often more, written by my own hand.

That is my little gift with those cards--a few moments of my time that I am thinking just about you and wishing you the best and hoping that you are happy.