THE DAY BEFORE THE MORNING AFTER

A Christmas card to all my friends and family.

How many times have you gotten that card in the mail from an old acquaintance or family member that you either see or hear from once a year.  And then only because it has become ritual from some old mailing that we once maintained because it was on the "Christmas Card" list.  I can remember my mother keeping "The list" and beware if you were banished from said list.  I remember serious conversations about who was on and who was off and why.

 God forbid that we get a card from someone who we'd forgotten or had not already sent one.  I have one on my desk right now.  That means adding a hand written note, using the last stamp in the house which is likely to be a "Snoopy" stamp or some other inappropriate cartoon.  And having to face the mailman, to whom I have not given a Christmas gift. 

Do they still do that?  I remember my parents always, always remembered the postman and milk man on Christmas with five or ten bucks.  Boy, that was different times.  A delivery man actually dropped off the milk, eggs and butter every day.  Placed it in a grey insulated box on the back step with "Bordens" stamped on it .  If you needed something special you left a note in the box.  Today, well that's their job..."What do they expect"?  And now Christmas cards are mostly sent via e-mail, Facebook,  or some blog that serves as a "One size fits all" greeting.  Oooops!

And here's the biggy.  When you get a one page letter of  "This is what we and the kids did this past year," Christmas letter.  This way they only have to send one letter or card per year.  OK, Johny got all D's and an F this year.  Sally, is running with the wrong crowd and got pregnant (She's 14 now),  but we're going to raise the child ourselves (that will work with that track record).  And little Georgie had his hair lip fixed.  The husband lost his job and is flipping burgers at the local joint and momma thinks she might be in a family way too.  But they had a great year and certainly wish you a similar one. 

Or the alternative. 

We had a so-so year....both kids are now in college (Ivy League you know), we wintered in the Bahamas, summer in the Hampton's, and skiing this past month at Vail.  And you are working your A off trying to pay the mortgage.  Sigh!

Someone would say that the above is the reality of Christmas.  Oh I remember all that.  Lived some of it. Laughed at the lines on Black Friday.

  I Love my kids and grands and miss the hell out of them.  And that makes this time of year very hard for me, but to all my friends and family ... A very Merry Christmas.

My annual Christmas letter to you will come, when it's supposed to, as we approach the new year.  Because it's actually a summary of the year past and has little to do with Christmas. 

Christmas is the celebration of the Birth of Christ.  To one and all I wish you a happy season with family and pray that He ...

Sheds the light upon you and yours during the season and for the year to com.

"