On Holiday cards.

Growing up in a family of four from a small town holiday cards were a staple.  I waited every year to be the designated card opener. There were a few people that always sent their cards early.  We’d open each card, my parents would read the note, and then we’d display them in our living room.  Some years we’d even pack them up and save them for the following year.  Then there was always a Happy New Year batch of cards.  This is where my family fell. We ALWAYS sent a new years card.  I remember my mom would be in charge of writing the notes inside.  She’s known for her “making a short story long” – which is ironically the original title I came up with for this blog – yes, she is where I get it from (though a similar argument could be made at times for my dad, after working alongside him for 4 years – sorry Dad!). My mom would sit in the living room or at the kitchen table writing notes, underlining and capitalizing certain things – depending on the person receiving the card and the message she wrote.

But before the cards could be printed or sent there was a whole separate production. The photo. The first phase of Christmas photos in my family were likely taken by family. Like the year we moved to Duxbury and my parents took our photo in front of the sign by the harbor or the classic (what we now call ugly) holiday sweater photo. Most years I was sporting a fine bowl cut and would likely be seen matching my brothers in one way or another. There was even one year that I was taller than Brady!

Phase two was a bit more painful. In my small town there was a family photographer who at the time took about 90% of the photos in my town. It was a tradition to get your Senior pictures taken by her for the yearbook and the year my oldest brother, Jeff, was graduating, my mom decided it was the perfect time for family photos. This included that years Christmas photo. These photos weren’t as natural as the ones taken by family but they do still always make me think of holiday cards. Forced family photos. Oh what I’d do for a forced family photo these days.

This year, in lieu of in person photos of my brothers and I, I brought back a few classics.  I printed out a bunch of these “awkward family photos” and plan to send them to each of them.  It’s so fun to look back and laugh on these now.  I’m so glad my mom and dad decided to convince us all to pose with Jeff in 2001 during his family photos.  I started thinking about Christmas cards about a month ago when I realized that we were heading back into another major surge.  I figured it was a great way to pass the time.  After all, how many non spam pieces of mail do you really receive?  Snail mail is officially making a comeback.  And I’m really excited.  

I was excited to see and hear that I wasn’t alone in this move to cards again.  I’d be interested to see how the pandemic has impacted card sending.  I’m leaning towards thinking that it went way up.  To think we almost lost the USPS!  My assumption is based on nothing but assumptions and personal experience.  Somedays I’ll mail a card and it’ll get to the receiver in two days and somedays I’ll mail something that takes 4 weeks.  It’s totally unpredictable but I have to guess thats due at least in part, to an increase in volume.  I’ve also been hearing from friends via email or text “hey what’s your address, we’re sending cards for the first time this year” or emails from postable.com requesting I send my email to my friends new address book, which is new – and cool! 

There’s something about sending a handwritten (or even custom ecards these days) note to someone that feels more personal than shooting them a text or a call or even a zoom.  It’s a one way conversation.  It’s rare to have the chance in person to sit there with a loved one and be allowed to tell them how much they mean to you (before they get embarrassed and cut you off).  Cards are the exception to this rule.  I’ve started writing 3-4 cards a day or night and it’s become my way to unplug for a bit after work or even a mid day break when its too cold for my usual long walk.  I think I could become an avid card writer.  I really enjoy the act of designing (my art is 4th grade level but I like to try and get semi creative) the card, the writing of the card, and even the sending of the card (a good excuse to get outside these days).  It feels good to give cards too.  Because I know when I get a card – it’s still out of the ordinary and that makes it a lot more exciting.  I’m hoping that the enthusiasm isn’t short lived and due to the mundane Covid days but we won’t know till  Christmas 2021.  

For now, My only regret is I just wish I had started sooner. Now I get it. Maybe I’ll take a page out of my moms book and start writing “Happy New Year” on the ones that don’t get out soon enough. Oh the beauty of handmade cards.