The Christmas card may be a casualty of digital media and social photography. There’s reason enough to loathe it and love it. I loathe it for the time involved, the process, and the inevitable complaints from my teenagers when they arrive. I love it when I hear from distant friends, especially the older generations who still write a message by hand, often in cursive, a foreign script today.

To be fair, the cards have a few things going for them, one I won’t forget anytime soon.

Holiday Decor

I mounted the cards on the pantry door, a tribute to Jess for her Yankee ingenuity. She said she loved seeing all the beautiful faces every day. I tacked two long pieces of twine to the door top and taped the cards, not as flashy or laborious as Pinterest options, though the latter may be worth checking out.

“No Mess” card display with twine, two flat tacks on top, and tape

Gift Tags

When wrapping presents, I reached into the box of bows to find cutouts of used cards. Serena said she recycled cards, using pictures and designs as gift tags instead of throwing them out.

Recycled cards – gift tags and notes

News and Miracles

Recent photos, warm words, updates, and the latest news on friends are nice.  And today the best card arrived. It was different than the others because it had a text message with the photos which shared something miraculous.

The magic of the holidays is learning that miracles really happen.

My friend’s kidneys failed in high school and she received a transplant from her mother. That was almost 30 years ago and she wrote in her enclosed letter that it was time for a ‘tire change’ this year. The average transplant lasts 10-12 years so hers far outlived expectations. Her siblings and husband stepped up as potential donors and here’s the miracle: her husband was her MATCH. She had surgery in July and some complications. But after a few months she is back to work and thrilled about her NORMAL life.

We all have challenges, but I’ve never had to deal with anything like this.  So I will close with an excerpt from my friend’s note.

This year above all we meditate on gratitude. Pure and simple. We appreciate the small stuff and the special moments of nothing special. We are living deliberately. We stop and take notice. . . and it is something that I recommend. There is much to be grateful for if you are paying attention.