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Sealed.

Just like that, after several years of putting up a fight against the demise of sending Christmas cards (real live ones), it seems that we collectively kind of sighed and put them aside. We got a handful of cards this year. Yes, and that means I have five fingers.  I atleast made some vague effort before, but this year, no, I put it out of my mind. I got another five electronic cards and countless Facebook/Twitter/Email greetings instead.

I am an advocate for writing cards, for care packages and for letter writing, but even I have surrendered.  I want to want it more. I know we will miss something.  Down the line there will be a petering out of artifacts from this season, in this era.  I still treasure Christmas cards my mother was given, and that I gave my parents.  When I read ones from the time before that, I am rather in awe of the artistry that they feature, the humour that now seems stranger than funny, and the sentiments that echo down the line.  However, I can't help myself. The expense of sending cards undid the whole thing for me, sadly.  But there is another thing, it has been something I feel I "have to" do and more and more I am questioning what "has to be done" and I need to do.

As much as I love receiving mail, Christmas cards and the dreaded holiday letter, I know this is telling me something about the whole holiday deal. The Christmas cards shaky exit is telling me, think smaller, think more meaningful, think.

You never know, I might just send a letter in a couple of months, it just won't have a Christmas tree on it. Maybe next year, maybe not.


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