CARDS and LETTERS

 

 I guess I'm old fashioned. I still address Christmas cards to friends, near and far. I know that a lot of people have stopped sending them altogether, and I can't really blame them. The cost of just one first class stamp is around 78 cents if I recall. I bought four books of them the other day. The post office that we use has a very limited supply of stamps. You can choose one design for Christmas or go with the old standard, the American flag. I could order them on-line from USPS and enjoy a variety of scenes, but the sap suckers charge me the postage to send the stamps, so I go with whatever this post office has.  

It's nice to get any kind of greeting in the form of an email I suppose, but getting a card, something you can look at again and again without fear of erasing it is kind of nice. To me it also shows that someone cares enough to take the time to write a little something and sit down and address the card, and it's nice to know that they think enough of you that they'll spend the money on the postage.

I have a number of cards that I've gathered through the years from various charitable outfits. They send the cards close to Christmas in hopes that you'll support them with a generous gift. There are several outfits that I never support, yet year after year they give me cards and sometimes a pen or letter opener. One outfit sent some gloves, a pen, a flashlight and I can't remember what else, maybe some address labels. I still didn't send them any money. I think they would be better off spending the money they have trying to take care of whomever they are representing.

Speaking of address labels, I would have to write about a thousand letters and bills to ever use them all, and yet every year more and more show up. Unfortunately, all of them just have my name on them; I assume because my name is on the check of any of the charities I want to support. The fact of the matter is, Jan and I are a team, and the money we send come from a mutual checking account. I fear that my friends may get the idea that we aren't together, or that I'm the only one sending my greetings.

I know that the number of cards we get each year is less and less. As I was going through my address book I noticed that  friends I've known for years are no longer living. It happens. The longer we live, the more friends we lose. I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier. I think I'm going to get a separate address book for those who have passed on. I don't want to forget them, if that were possible. Sometimes Jan will put a note beside a name letting me know that they are deceased. Some of them are my age or even younger, and it's a reminder that life is short, make the best of it. As often as you can, do good for someone.

We got a note in the mail today. I thought it was a Christmas card, but it was just a folded note on colored paper letting us know that the sender did this and that this past year, and was going to do this and that in the future. That's nice I suppose, at least they were thinking of us, although they didn't address it to us personally. Just a kind of generic letter letting us know about the current state of their life. It was kind of like reading an article from a newspaper.

Do me a favor. If your life has been peachy keen and full of all kinds of wonderful happenings, the kids are going on a vacation to Europe this year with the money they won from the state lottery, the grandkids have been accepted into an Ivy League college on a scholarship, and you are on your way to your second home in Belize for the winter, keep it to yourself please. Its not that I'm not happy for you, but I think a shot of reality would be refreshing.

If, however, like me, you are dealing with winter weather, you've had surgery on your knee and gained twenty five pounds in the last six months that you can't get rid of, and you practically puke when you see yourself in a full length mirror, send me a letter in a Christmas card. I want to enjoy this holiday season, and knowing that someone else is going through real life is encouraging.