Sunday, December 16, 2007

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!

10 comments:

Aryan-Arjun said...

I think even I should read this post again and again and make it a point to send a holiday card..As you said..some feeling of being together crops up and when you get a holiday card you feel that someone is remembering you.....
Aryan's Mom

Maggie said...

Hi Noon - still catching up with all your posts, just wanted to stop by and say hi :-) Will send you a photo of Moppet by our Christmas tree - it's our first ever and I'm quite proud of it!

Preethi said...

What a nice tradition.. and the gesture I am sure is appreciated.
I hardly ever send out any cards at all.. and you make me want to!!
Also regards the photo taking.. i have the same trouble too .. with Nantu wanting to see the pic before it is taken..:P

noon said...

Aryan - I sure feel good if I get a card in the mail - esp since we mostly get bills/mags and junk mail. I too am guilty of many of the same things written here and I keep trying to be good about it...

MM - Didn't realize you were not well. Hope you are feeling well now. Am looking forward to reading more posts from you to make up for time lost! :)

Preethi - Well I wouldn't yet call it a tradition - I would like to make it a tradition at least until our kids are older...
Yeah - impossible tasks to get kids to post - esp with two kids it is too much!

mnamma said...

Thats a very nice gesture Noon! I do send out greetings in email - not mass email but I do write down a personalised note and send it to people on my email distribution list. When I first came here to US, I used to send holiday cards or birthday greetings but not anymore. Reading your post motivates me to do so :)

noon said...

HI Mnamma - it's a ton of work actually - mainly because once you step out of immediate family - the list grows - you feel bad to leave people out...but in all it becomes a little too much when you sit down to write the addresses or the note. Some I just mail w/out any other hand written note - but to most I add that also - takes too much time. But figured once a year and also not even every year really. So I just do it. And hope to do it for a few years! :)
And I actually don't mind receiving holiday greetings as part of a mass mail - just that I don't feel particularly compelled to respond to such a mail...

Anonymous said...

If you want to send out christmas cards but hate the work and time it takes, check out Send Out Cards. The website is:
http://www.easy2sendcards.com

You can send them right from your computer (in the mail) these are not e-cards but real greeting cards that the company will print, stuff and mail for you -- cards are cheap and no extra fees.

noon said...

durangifts - who are you?!
Well I want to have some personal touch - at least an address written that is hand written! Some pen on paper some place in the card!

Anonymous said...

Send Out Cards has a feature that will upload your own handwriting and signature into the card, so the card will be written in your own handwriting, but it's all done on the computer. There are 10 additional font styles and 12 font colors to choose from. The card is printed, stamped and mailed for you and the recipient won't be able to tell it was all done on the computer. You can even upload photos inside the card, or custom design your own cards for 1/5 the cost of store bought cards or cards you have to order in bulk.

Provide me with an address and I will send a card to you in the mail so you can check it out.
Send your address to:
barb@easy2sendcards.com

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

One more thing, the envelope is also handwritten out, with your return address in the corner and the recipient's info in blue ink. The envelopes are stamped by hand, with real postage stamps, not metered. Let me send you a card and you'll see.

Happy card sending!
Barb