The post man come religiously bringing bills and the likes but at this time of the year it's different. Today be handed me over this little piles and not a bill in sight. He jokes that we must be sending out the cards and he's right. We make the effort to send them and so in return we get them back.
When I was a child the drama of sending cards was week long. But it's something I remember doing with my mam. She'd write to all the relations in Ireland and America with a greeting and good wishes and she'd leave the cards on the table so he could write them to his work mates. And all he would put it 'frank' and not even with a capital F. I wonder now if it was a ploy to get out of writing the big batch of cards. I'd take the cards out of the box I liked to send to my friends and agonise over sending a boy I liked one. In those days Ireland and America were the only destinations and now we have to post worldwide. My mum had an array of address books that needed a map to navigate and each year I'd threaten to combine them all and get rid of them but I remember to this day the blue 60's vibe book full of papers and secured with an elastic band and secretly hope she's still got it.
We have a night in our house when we write cards. I have a christmas card list on excel and that gives no excuses for himself not to help out and in fairness he did his fair share of the cards this year but I'm not sure what message he put in. Knowing his bar humbug Christmas vibe it's likely he signed it a bit like my dad!!
The dwindling popularity of sending cards at Christmas seems like a shame. We cry out when our local post offices are under threat but yet we can't make the time to send some seasons greetings and help save out local post office at the same time.
And our reward for making this effort is this. Day after day more cards hand delivered by the post man that jokes we must be sending them out - and he's right. You get back what you put out and we love to see them decorating our wall.
In this day and age we are more connected than ever and sure you could send them a text. Or here's an idea, slow down, remember what Christmas it's all about and take the time to hand write a card. Send them a little piece of you because when that cards comes to them it gives them a nice feeling to know you were thinking of them. A text is not personal like a cards.
It's not too late - last posting dates give you a few more days. And even better why not get them a personalised card or card that donates a €1 to Crumlin. A customer suggested we do a card night next year at the beginning of December - I like that idea. Christmas music on, address books and the ready and sipping a glass of mulled wine as we get writing.
