Daydream Lane Pixels Winter Wonderland Tag above from Felineige Lil Pixel
Winter Wonderland Home Xmas Memories My Adoptions Christmas Card Rant Gifts for You My Big Thank You Tag above from Zaza Pixel Free	Christmas Card Rant While I am not Christian, I absolutely adore sending out cards to friends and family each holiday season the old fashioned way (snail mail aka postal mail). Unfortunately, I haven't been keeping up with it over the last few years and my list to mail out got smaller and smaller. This year, I am very sad to say, I did not mail even one card. What are my excuses? Well, this past year we have been through so much personal stuff that I've just been overwhelmed. I didn't make or purchase cards. I didn't make any little homemade extra gifts like I usually do. I just felt lucky to have my family and friends and resolved to pin my hopes of getting back to my old self in 2010. This part wasn't my rant. The rant part is I am one of the few people in my circle that actually sends cards any longer. Now that I missed a year completely, I feel like I've contributed to the downfall of holiday cards. Maybe we feel that with technology being what it is, that as people we are more "in touch" with each other than ever before. Perhaps we are more conscious of our paper use and haven't found recycled cards that we like to use. There could be people who are very religious and feel that sending cards makes the holiday too commercial. There could also be people who are not religious and feel like if the send out cards they are honoring a holiday they do not hold faith in. Maybe with each passing year, we are all becoming so overwhelmed with life that letting go of one stressful task seems reasonable. Whatever the reason, I miss the cards. As someone who really never had much to do with religion, the cards I would receive during the winter season didn't represent the Christian aspect of the holiday to me, but the love, peace and good thoughts that were sent with each card. It gave me the handwritten, tangible proof of someone out there that was thinking of me and wishing me all the best of the holiday season. Some folks included little notes or even an entire newsletter and shared some of their life with me at a busy time in their life. I miss the cards. I also miss the hunt of finding cards for me to send out... little snow fairies, beautiful scenery, finding cards with five characters/animals/whatever on it to represent my family of five. Even more, I miss the years that allowed me the clarity and focus to create cards myself. Making one for each person was a true gift even if it was only paper as I put a piece of my heart into each and every one. I miss the cards. This year we are moving, downsizing, simplifying our life and definitely cutting down on the clutter that holds me back from doing the things I truly love. I'm not much of a believer of resolutions as they so rarely come true for those of us blessed with so little self-discipline. I am, though, making it a goal to make *Christmas Cards" a priority again come the next Winter season. Maybe you could think about doing it too and we can start remembering the smiles we received as we opened those cards that represented so much in such little space. And I wouldn't have to miss the cards any longer. Melissa Olivero ©February 2010 aka Dreamer Tag from Vivi's Pixel Area
Daydream Lane Pixel Winter Wonderland ©2009 Melissa Olivero unless otherwise noted All Rights Reserved by all original copyright holders Scraps from Bel Vidotti