This is the first year in maybe 7 or 8 years that I have not written a holiday letter to accompany Christmas cards. I typically make a mental note throughout the year of potential topics for my holiday letter and begin writing in October (okay, sometimes September) to have a final version by Thanksgiving. My letters are a little over the top. I don’t mind if others make fun of them because I enjoy writing them (and I don't see their face when they read it). I fill up a page so full of text that there is nearly no room for more than a half inch margin. I sometimes include photos with my letter and one year I included a DVD slide show of images from our year. I told you I’m over the top. I haven’t felt the desire to write one since the year Declan died but my therapist thought it was important that I continue the tradition as a way to demonstrate to my boys that it’s okay for us to move forward. That was two years ago. This year I just didn’t make the time or have the desire to pull the emotional energy needed to sit down and paint a lovely picture of our year. The people closest to me know what my year was like, well, most of all the dark and twisty details and that’s good enough for me.
We did have some highlights this year so I’m working on a review of 2010 to post on the blog. I just hope I get the chance to take the idea in my head and put it on paper before January 1.
I haven't received any holiday letters in my mailbox this year. I've sent out less Christmas cards than usual and have already been told my letter was missed so maybe next year I'll make the time to do one. From everyone I've talked to it seems like less people are doing cards or going the extra mile to put something in the mailbox for the sake of the season. For us, we feel like the holidays sneaked up on us and we weren't mentally ready. We didn't decorate as much this year and we've bought far less than we typically do. I'm not sure what all that means - it is just different for us to not be all Griswold this time of year.
I'm not sure what to title this post since I don't seem to have a real point other than, I didn't write a holiday letter in case you were expecting one but I will hopefully post something here soon to subsitute. :)
December 21, 2010
I missed it, but I am one of the guilty ones of not getting cards in the mail! I always have big plans and great ideas and never seem to get anything completely done. I totally understand life getting in the way and I don't even have a job or 2 boys still in school!