This post might just offend many people I know and decrease the number of Christmas "cards" I get, and I am OK with that.
Dear everyone,
I love sending Christmas cards. I also love receiving them. I take pride in selecting the perfect card every year. My cards are generally glitter bomb Thomas Kinkade cards from Hallmark. Those who know me well know to open my cards outside. What can I say? I love glitter and Thomas Kinkade. Each year, I carefully select my cards, go through my address book, and carefully write out a message in each one. As a handwriting perfectionist, I have to use just the right pen, with just the right style of handwriting, and when writing out the address I go through far more envelopes than I should. If I make a mistake, it must be re-written.
You see, all of these years, I have been mesmerized by Christmas cards. When I was a child I loved looking over them all, reading the messages from people who we had lost touch with and admiring the glitter of it all. I also admire the time it takes for people to sit down, write out cards, and include a heartfelt holiday sentiment to those who they are sending the cards to.
Enter the photo card. Or, as I call it, the death of the Christmas card. Let me tell you something. Snapping cute pictures of your kids is fine, but there are basic rules of decency that should be followed. These rules seem to have been lost in the photo card land of lazy people.
1. If you send out a photo card, take the time to sign the back. Sorry not sorry, but shoving a photo card into an envelope does not equate "sending out a Christmas card". Really? Is it that hard to write a note? Are you so popular that you have to send out 200 Christmas cards and just don't have the time? If that is the case, maybe you should re-think the purpose of Christmas cards.
2. Yes, your kids sure are cute! But when you send a photo card that contains pictures of your children exclusively, with no adults or names listed, chances are I have no idea who the heck those kids belong to.
3. The same thing goes for dogs. I love seeing pictures of your dogs, but I need to know who sent the card. "Milo and Otis say Merry Christmas" doesn't cut it.
4. This is number 4 , and quite possibly the worst. The photo card with no note, accompanied by a 1996 inkjet printer address label. Really? Is it that much of a hassle to address a card?
The holidays are supposed to be a time of reflection, reconnection, family, and love. Shoving a photo card into an envelope is not exactly indicative of the season. Please at least take the time to sign the back. I love seeing pictures of your family, although it does become a bit awkward when I throw them away on January 1st.
P.S. You know those photos that you just spent $700.00 on for the "perfect" Christmas card? The ones that you spend hours going over and editing for the perfect layout? The ones that you put so much time and effort into, yet once they were delivered, couldn't be bothered to sign your name on the back? Yeah, those either go into the trash in a fit of guilt about throwing away pictures of kids, or into a box that belongs to a hoarder who can't throw anything away. Hope it was worth it. As for me, I will take a traditional card with a heartfelt message over a photo card that is as impersonal as a convenience store any day.
