I sent Christmas Cards to a hundred friends and family to see what happens (wedding, house)
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My mother who is now gone (2010) used to send hundreds of Christmas Cards each year. Each card had a handwritten note with it.
My mom used to keep this huge bowl on her coffee table and we would come over and just love going through it seeing who sent a card and wondering how their families were doing. Of course, those would be the parents of the kids WE grew up with so we would giggle and smile, thinking of some of the crushes we had, never to tell but I'm sure the parents knew!
It was just really fun going through Memory Lane with her; she didn't do that often but it was a fun activity and usually, we'd be alone with her so time to talk and share and then to go in the kitchen and grab the fresh baked cookies!!
My mom never finished on time but continued sending until she was done - around January 10th.
Wow I know that bowl on the coffee table! My mum starts in November and for a steady 3 weeks she writes long individual handwritten letters to overseas family, and friends we knew from growing up in the military. As a result she has maintained wonderful cross-atlantic friendships over the years and has shared life milestones like children, grandchildren, growing old, health.. and we do the same thing as you did. The pile of letters, cards and photos she gets every year in return are so wonderful to read. We sit there reading, checking photos, complaining about handwriting we can't read, and munch on all the Christmas goodies on the table. When dad was alive, he got some type of enjoyment in keeping one of those Christmas card sent/received lists to see who sent one. I'd hear him sometimes.. "OK strike those two off, we sent them cards twice in a row without receiving one back..." LOL.
We have two relatives who do the "one size fits all" form letter every year. They are incredibly painful and boring to read. One starts hers in January and makes the font tiny enough so its all kept on one page. She writes about hedge trimming, altercations with the neighbor, fence painting, nice brunches. Nothing is interesting or relevant. The other couple just blabs about their beautiful children and achievements of said children, and because they're wealthy there's a lot of stuff like flying lessons and equestrian championships and holidays in Monaco. <yawn>. I asked my mother if she ever considered doing one letter for everyone and she was aghast. She said no two letters she sends are the same. Everything is tailored to her relationship with the person to whom she's writing.
OP, I think you'll get lots of lovely responses to your message - I'm sure you sent out something very warm-hearted.
I stopped sending cards years ago. It shows. lol - I get one card from our insurance agent!!
I'd read it! I love long newsy Christmas letters as long as you don't mention the surgeries you had this year or how you're trying to keep your cholesterol level down.
I used to send out cards and a Christmas letter every year and got many in return. And then I quit. Two things happened to change that. Over time all our older relatives have died, and Facebook keeps us up with everyone else. I still get the occasional Xmas letter and I enjoy them if they're witty or even unintentionally amusing (those are the best!) But I probably won't send one in return - I'm done with that.
I find those "newsletters" an insult. If a person can't find time once a year to personally contact me, with a note, letter, email, whatever, well, then, that's the end of the friendship. If they don't have time to write me, what makes them think I have time to respond to their newsletter? After all, its not like I'm part of their fan club!
I refuse to read those newsletters. Once I see that's what it is, I throw it away. If they don't have the time to write, I don't have the time to read and respond. Like another poster said, I also sometimes wonder what they might want after all these years? Are they trying to settle some old score? If a relative, are they after a kidney? Are they on hard times and looking for a "loan?" Or, perhaps......they just want my friendship? Well, they should have thought of that long ago....before we "lost touch"....
I'd read it! I love long newsy Christmas letters as long as you don't mention the surgeries you had this year or how you're trying to keep your cholesterol level down.
I used to send out cards and a Christmas letter every year and got many in return. And then I quit. Two things happened to change that. Over time all our older relatives have died, and Facebook keeps us up with everyone else. I still get the occasional Xmas letter and I enjoy them if they're witty or even unintentionally amusing (those are the best!) But I probably won't send one in return - I'm done with that.
I agree, don't save up all your bad news for a Christmas card! So-and-so had a stroke, so-and-so died, heart attack, cancer, bankruptcy, foreclosure, teen kid committed suicide, dog got run over, cat ran away.....geez.....why bother even opening cards? If I want to wallow in misery, I can wallow in my own!
My mother who is now gone (2010) used to send hundreds of Christmas Cards each year. Each card had a handwritten note with it.
My mom used to keep this huge bowl on her coffee table and we would come over and just love going through it seeing who sent a card and wondering how their families were doing. Of course, those would be the parents of the kids WE grew up with so we would giggle and smile, thinking of some of the crushes we had, never to tell but I'm sure the parents knew!
It was just really fun going through Memory Lane with her; she didn't do that often but it was a fun activity and usually, we'd be alone with her so time to talk and share and then to go in the kitchen and grab the fresh baked cookies!!
My mom never finished on time but continued sending until she was done - around January 10th.
We did the same thing each year! My mom kept the cards in a basket. We'd reminisce about neighbors who had moved, marvel at toddlers who were now teens, admire the few hand made cards and the cards of people with especially good taste. And enjoy cookies and cider.
No. An E-card is nothing like that.
I love the internet, but that was way more fun!
And again, I do not think that the OP was advocating wordy, boastful, four page newsletters. The poster was recently retired and wanted to reconnect with some friends from the past.
The poster was recently retired and wanted to reconnect with some friends from the past.
I'm still anxious to see how this pans out!
No worries. As soon as the holidays are over the OP will create another thread seeking opinions on those horribly rude, antisocial people who never responded to his holiday letter.
To those posters who don't like a stock letter enclosed with the Christmas Card:
So if you were close to the person at one time and they sent you a generic letter in with the Christmas Card, you would not even be at all curious what is in the letter and you would throw it away without reading it? If a Christmas Card was sent, would you prefer no letter at all- if it was just a copied letter that was sent to everyone?
I understand that a handwritten letter or phone call would be better but if that was off the table.
Last edited by I'm Retired Now; 12-17-2013 at 06:44 AM..
Same here. If I get back half that's fine. if I don't that's also OK. There are also people who send cards, shall we say, "less religiously". Those are the ones who really seem to appreciate the every year sender crowd.
I don't think anyone here is advocating sending cards to people with whom you have had a serious faling out. That should be rectified at some other time of the year. Not at Christmas.
Nor do I think that anyone is championing over the top, and obnoxious "Family News Letters". Back in the 70s my parents laughed about those pretentious tomes.
But if anyone is not interested enough in a friend to read three paragraphs about their lives, I wonder if a friendship should should still exist - or ever did.
I used to send out Christmas cards because it was something I enjoyed. Selecting a pretty card, printing coordinating labels and writing a message in coordinating ink. And then the pretty Christmas stamps. I put a lot of heart in my Christmas cards. And I typically received an equal amount to what I sent out.
One year, time got away from me and I wasn't able to send Christmas cards. That year, I received only one or two cards. So I thought "Were they sending me cards only because I sent them one?"
I put a lot of time, effort and considerable expense into my Christmas cards, and I felt like it wasn't appreciated so I stopped. I still get a few cards from friends, but they are mostly the non-personal, photo montage, printed cards from shutterfly (or someplace similar).
Boy does this sound familiar! LOL! Upon further reflection, however, I realized it wasn't ever supposed to be about feeling appreciated. We're supposed to do this for others, right? To let them know we are thinking about them? But yes, I know what you mean about expense and time!
I love newsy newsletters and look forward to them every year. Only one of my friends is obnoxious about it, and I know her well enough to know that although she paints a rosy picture, she's really extremely insecure about everything. So I read her newsletters with a lot of skepticism.
But to the OP, I think it's weird that you're sending Christmas cards as a test of others' friendship. IMO, it's contrary to the spirit of the season. Your time would be better spent reaching out personally to the people you call friends without any ulterior motive. You're more likely to get the response you seem to crave under those circumstances.
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