Dazzled: Why I Love Christmas Cards

With tender hands, loving eyes, and a heart swelling with joy I open the Christmas cards as they arrive in my mailbox. Filled with happiness and anticipation I am excited to receive these gifts, yes I see them as gifts, from my family and friends. What will be inside? A card? If so, does it depict the Holy Family, a big red jolly Santa Claus, or beautiful wishes for the season and the new year? Was the card carefully made with talented hands? How is it signed? Is there be a letter? Is there a picture enclosed? I savor my treasures and then carefullly and strategically tape them onto one of the two designated doors where I have hung my Christmas cards for the last 22 years.

As I have contemplated the custom of Christmas cards I had a few thoughts:

*Christmas cards are FUN to both send and receive!

*This is a wonderful way to stay in contact with people who have been a part of my journey in this life. Each person I sent a card to and received a card from represents a different relationship and different times in my life. I love those connections and recalling sweet times from my past.

*Christmas cards send forth good wishes, hopes, prayers, and the true meaning of Christmas. (The message of faith can sometimes land in the hands of a person who has no faith!)

*Every card received tells me that someone thought of my family. They spent their effort, their time (and everybody is crunched for time), and their resources to reach out to my family! WOW! Sending Christmas cards is obviously an incredibly generous gift!

*Being a picture person I obviously love the pictures I receive! I know that much preparation goes into that picture! The clothing, the primping, the details of getting a group in one place at one time and then the monumental task of snapping at least one picture that makes each person shine! And to think that someone made a print for ME just thrills me!

*The letters - oh, the letters!!! I love the different writing styles - some are humorous, some are entertaining, and some are factual. Each letter comes on a paper that was carefully selected by the sender. I get an inside look at the lives of the sender and get to share their joy and their very lives, oftentimes even hearing of births and deaths and all the real things that happen in life. I have been inspired to make things happen in my own family and being a curious person, I have learned about many interesting places and things.

*I even enjoy seeing which postage stamp the sender chose. I have thought about how the lowly postage stamp often evangelizes as millions of pictures of Mary and the infant Jesus swirl around in mailboxes everywhere touching the eyes of believers and non believers alike.

In an age of email, text messaging, and cell phones communication by "snail mail" as it is sometimes called is priceless to me. It is more than someone simply spending 42 cents. I sent out lots of cards this year because I like to, but the cards I receive are treasures to me because of the love and generosity that they represent. My decorations and tree will come down on January 6th, the Epiphany, but my cards will stay up much longer. As my eyes linger on these gifts, I hold each family up in prayer.