Cards vs. Email and the Whole Giving Thing

I want to send Christmas cards this year. I bought some Christmas stamps and I need to make a list and get them sent as soon as possible. It shouldn't take that long, but I understand why people don't send Christmas cards much anymore. We've been lulled to sleep by social media and internet and e-mail, as if it were the same thing as sending and receiving cards, but it is not. Not even close. Everybody knows sending real cards and receiving real cards is superior in every way to getting an email. There is no way it will ever be as much of a blessing to get an email as is realizing someone sat down and wrote out a card and an envelope, and bought a stamp and mailed a card. But away with tradition. Let's just move on, right? Wrong. I have a friend who does not like Christmas. She says she's an atheist. I am going to send her a card. She doesn't send me cards. She brings them over in person and tapes them to my door. She already brought me a Christmas card and a typed note inside saying, in jest, "Don't act cheery around me." She claims the neighborhood feral cat she has all but adopted shares her feelings about that. There is no way I will not send her a Christmas card. I have an estranged relative. I will send him a Christmas card. Now, I just needed to make a list of 18 other people to send Christmas cards to. Oh, I have a very depressed and lonely friend in another state I will definitely send one to, so now I only had to make a list of 17 people. The person in New Orleans who always sends me a Christmas card; now I only had to think of 16 people. When I added my brother, my ex and my niece, there go three more, I only needed 13 more…etc. I won't bore you with any more details, I just need to go do this. Later: Didn't get much done. but I got started. Friday night is the only night I can stay up late during the school year. I at least started a list and made a pile of religious cards versus non-religious cards. Religious cards have Scripture verses or traditional hymn lyrics versus a wish with "Jingle Bells" or something like that on the inside. You know what I'm talking about. I bundled all those and put them in a box to go to the Christian thrift store here, called God's Storehouse. It's the nicest second-hand place in town. Everybody shops there. I'm sure someone will want those non-religious Christmas cards I probably won't send. The part that is most time-consuming about sending Christmas cards is addressing them and writing something inside. I used to write a whole bunch of stuff on every card, but I probably won't do that this year. Last year I may have sent two Christmas cards. This year my goal is 20. My list for today is up to 14, so now I only have to add six. The cards I'm sending are ones that were sent to me as "free gifts" from places that want me to send them money, and that's all right. These places need money to help the people they're helping. I can't give to everyone who asks me, but I have a handful of places I try to donate to but it's still kind of sporadic. I am working on being a better giver. I am writing down what I'm giving in a composition book. This year I am feeling very strongly about the need to connect with people and help anyone I can help. I know I have much room for improvement. Christmas is a giving time of the year. I can't afford to buy things for people all year around, but I love getting Christmas presents for the people in my family and people I'm close to at church. I also love getting little gifts for the people I work with. It's the last group I shop for. I shop for Christmas presents all year around so when Christmas actually is around the corner, like it is now, it's not all stressful and hurried, but the people at work are the last group I get around to getting stuff for. There's also one of those "White Elephant" parties coming up this Sunday. I don't know what to get for that. I might find something at God's Storehouse. I really haven't figured it out yet. I guess I could get some candy. Everyone likes candy (I think). Some people try to avoid it, but, hey, Christmas only comes once a year. Surely, we can splurge a little on the sweets. We will, anyway, whether we think it's wise or not, and we can still be reasonable, after all. So, this year my goal is to start sending Christmas cards again. I got a call from my depressed friend, which is a confirmation that I need to do that. More later. Love, Carolyn