The Christmas Card

When I was ten, my good friend moved to New York, which prompted a lifetime of writing.

By Susana Porras

We sent each other cards for every holiday, St. Patty’s, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and my favorite, Christmas. I’m not sure what took longer, finding the perfect card or writing the perfect message. It didn’t matter, I enjoyed both. My pen palling tendencies grew with me into adulthood and evolved into my Christmas card list.

Each year, starting October 1, I begin sorting, printing labels, stamping return addresses, and handwriting individual messages for 130 of my closest friends. Well, not necessarily. If you don’t receive a card from me, it’s because I just don’t have your address. I don’t ask friends for their address. If I happen to obtain an address through an invitation, a card, or otherwise, I add them to my list. As you can imagine, this yearly endeavor can be daunting even for those of us who are more seasoned greeting card writers.

2015 was a particularly difficult writing year, I fell behind and before I knew it my day after Thanksgiving deadline had arrived. With the holidays in full swing, I had even less time to write, and with each passing day, I knew my cards wouldn’t arrive on time. I became increasingly flustered and frustrated with a responsibility that I began to feel I had unnecessarily placed on myself. I eventually mailed off every holiday greeting that year, and I swore off Christmas Cards for good. I told myself I would never write another holiday card again. Famous last words.

Within days of that last visit to the post office, I received a call from a friend who proceeded to tell me how much he appreciated my card because it was the only one he receives each season. I felt foolish. I was so busy perfecting my greeting card assembly line that I’d forgotten the true meaning behind preparing the card in the first place. He reminded me that this centuries-old handwritten tradition is an act of love, kindness, and friendship. A tradition that I am now happy to grow more and more with each passing year. Happy writing!