Holiday cards...

Every year as the X-mas season comes closer, I think about sending holiday greetings to friends and family. I keep alternating between feeling enthusiastic about it or feeling quite bored of the whole thing. There is some intertia when it comes to collecting the addresses and making sure that is the current one for each person. And of course I have to first make a list of people to send it to - lest someone get missed and finds out that I have sent a card to some other close family member and feels offended or left out.

Last year, we did not send holiday cards to anyone - neither me nor B were in a mood to think about this considering the events of that year. The year before last we sent a photo greeting with KB in the picture. I enjoy receiving photo cards from my friends/family members who have children. I usually put it up on the refrigerator with magnets. This year too, we managed to get a picture worthy of a photo card with both KB and baby girl sitting next to each other. It was beyond frustrating to get them to pose for it though. KB was too excited when he came into the room and saw that it had been set up for this portrait picture and dad was waiting with the camera on a tripod. He was much too excited with the mechanics of all this than to sit and give a pose. In the meanwhile, baby girl was moving around all over the place. KB kept running towards the camera saying "Light on, light on". He asked that the flash light be turned on. He wanted to move the swivel arm on the tripod. He wanted to see the photo on the view finder before B could even shoot a picture.
In that tiny fraction of a second when I begged, yelled, pleaded with KB to just sit still and he granted me my wish, B frantically shot a few pictures. It was not a home run - KB did not give his sweet smile - only a tiny hint of a smile. Baby girl however gave a good smile. And again, I am sure will get all the attention from every one! The chubby baby smiling and the little brat looking ready to run away from the spot!

I sometimes wonder how many people really pause and appreciate the effort one takes to send a holiday card. Some people take the time to acknowledge the fact that you remembered them and bothered to send them a holiday card. Some people, not in any arrogant way, but just from being busy or taking it as the done thing during the season, look at it and don't acknowledge it unless you happen to talk to them or meet them months later. I feel disappointed if there is no acknowledgement, so I tend to think "Ahn, forget about sending holiday card". But I tell myself that it still is a nice feeling to have made that effort to reach out and let them know they are being thought of and wished well. Somewhere, somehow the connection is kept alive in such small ways. There is a feeling of collective warmth in such little tokens being exchanged during the holiday season and makes you feel good while you begin a new year. Be it through holiday cards or phone calls or personal emails. (I don't feel compelled to acknowledge emails sent to me as part of some mass mailing with no names mentioned - from or to - other than in the header!) Forget about hand written letters, it has unfortunately become a relic! For now, I have drawn up a list of people to send holiday cards to. When I feel lazy to gather all the addresses, writing a note and mailing them out, I will read what I have written here and get going again!