Why Send Christmas Cards? Yankee Ingenuity & Real Miracles

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.

img_4058

“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.

img_4062

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.

ericas-card

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.

Dec 16, 2016

0 Comments

About the Author

Mylinh Shattan is a writer who has lived on three continents, served in the Army, worked in corporate America, and taught in college. She loves adventures, in the world and in the mind. Literature is relevant and learning is a lifelong pursuit, so you might as well have a bit of fun along the way.

Stay Up to Date

Rise above the tedium with the TreeHouseLetter. Always learning with a bit of fun.

Latest Posts

The Cure for Resentment and Cynicism

3 Min read 2 Book recs 1 Podcast rec Wisdom from the college graduate AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify iTunes The cure for resentment and self-abnegation is gratitude. So says Douglas Murray, author and guest on the Good Fellows Podcast.* Murray asked his friend--a...

Weasel Words

3 Min read 2 Book recs on grammar, usage, and style Toolbox, ages 9 to 99 Improve writing immediately AVAILABLE IN PODCAST Spotify iTunes * One of our defects as a nation is a tendency to use what have been called weasel words. When a weasel sucks eggs it sucks the...

What Makes a Single Person’s Death Feel Large?*

4 Min read 2 Book recs, on writing and on jigsaws Toolbox, the Eulogy 1 Elegy, What is Dying? for the bereaved * AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY iTunes * Four friends died recently and three were my age: one from acute liver failure, one from Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS),...

Wild Horses Dragged Me Away

3 Min read Wild horses Assateague Island Estancia Alta Vista, Patagonia 1 Book, children's classic AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify iTunes * Wild horses dragged me away.* In earnest. My road trip last weekend had a detour to Assateague Island off the Eastern Shore of...

Go Slow to Go Fast

3 Min read 1 Cookbook rec 1 Book rec on writing Toolbox AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify iTunes * My nephew Donny and I were making Sally's* shortbread cookies. They're called short because of the amount of butter used. The more butter or fat, the more crumbly, tender,...

Sleep on It: Darkness Helps Us See the Light

5 Min read Dreams Pattern seeker 1 Podcast rec Digit dork alert - Fibonacci, Golden Ratio AVAILABLE IN PODCAST Spotify iTunes * A three-for, a chief in triplicate, the Don at the podium was the Don of adolescence, the Don of agency, and the Don of business school....

Topics

Inoculate yourself against the absurdity of life with a dose of the best ideas and writing. Always learning with a bit of fun.

TreeHouseLetter

Always learning with a bit of fun

 

 

Readers receive one to two letters a week, with 2 to 10 minute read time. Includes regular features:

 

The Music in Prose
Poetry for Emergencies
Toolbox

 

 

Be inspired by the best writing and ideas, and become better readers and writers in the process.

Thank you for joining! Please check your email for a confirmation.