What’s the Point of Holiday Cards?

The holidays are incredibly busy times, especially for people with children or large families. Tradition calls for mailing out cards to show that you’re thinking of the recipients and are sending your best wishes.

However, with today’s computer automation, many cards are simply the product of an assembly line without any personalization. Purchase pre-printed cards, generate mailing labels, affix stamps, send.

I catch myself feeling like these cards are more of an obligation than a real connection. Am I expecting too much? Would I rather get nothing? Am I ranking that sender’s love by how much time was put into the card?

An attitude shift is definitely in order. As I look at each card, I will remember what I value about my relationship with the sender — why I enjoy having that person or family in my life. I will be jolted into calling or e-mailing someone that I’ve lost touch with. I will ooh at pictures of kids and pets. I will read the copied letters with curiosity over the things I didn’t know.

I’m not sure how I will extend my holiday greetings this year. I may go green and call everyone on my list, or I may run my own card assembly line. I’ll try to add personal notes if I can. But no matter what, I’ll trust that they will all know that I’m thinking of them.