(Disclaimer…I’m writing this at 4:30am because I was laying in bed thinking about this. Please ignore any missed words or non-complete thoughts. I thought if I just write the blog now that I might get back to sleep once I am done. Here’s to hoping! )
We all get them, but we all don’t send them. Interesting right? When and why does someone choose to send a Christmas card? I ask this because this day in age with social media we all pretty much know what is going on in our “friends” lives on a monthly/daily basis, right? Our parents and our grandparents sent out Christmas cards because that was the one time in the year they could update their friends they didn’t talk to on a regular basis of what had happened in the past year and share pictures. But now with Facebook, twitter (I don’t have a twitter account but so many of my friends do), and blogging we know what is going on our people’s lives all the time and in a lot of cases the moment something happens. We post pictures along with status updates the moment something happens. So my thoughts as I write this blog are why do we still send Christmas cards?
Now, let me be the first to admit that I LOVE getting Christmas cards! Absolutely love this time of the year and receiving “snail mail” from a friend(s) that thought of me when they were sending out Christmas cards. It means so much to me! Those Christmas cards take over my refrigerator and I love seeing them on a daily basis and seeing how happy my friends are. And between you and me, those pictures stay up on my refrigerator more than one year, along with all the “Save the Dates” I have received. Yes, I have a lot going on my refrigerator, but I love it! Life is all about relationships and I love seeing my happy friends on my refrigerator.
Ok…back to Christmas cards and when and why people decide to send them. Here are my thoughts. I’m single as you all know. Think about all the Christmas cards you receive and how many of them come from someone that is single? Not many, if any at all, right? Why do you think that is?
Here are my thoughts as a 30 year old Single Woman.
One of my dear friends in Denver (who will remain nameless, is also single, and was on her period when this happened…got love those emotional days!) told me she felt ridiculous because she started crying when looking at one of Christmas cards she had received this year from a good friend of hers. When this friend tried (key word here because sometimes we can’t explain our tears…right ladies?) told me why she was crying about the Christmas card, I could immediately relate and understood her tears even though it was hard for her to explain. As single woman we have created a bond that is so tight that no explanation was needed from my friend and I just told her I loved her and that she was my family. Then of course we joked that we should send Christmas cards out with pictures of us throughout the year and all our adventurous we get to do because we are without children. Then we finish our conversation by saying “our friends with husbands and kids would be jealous, right?” We like to think so since we are sometimes (yes, only sometimes) we get jealous seeing our friends become wives and moms, because we want that, someday. Though we wonder when that “someday” will be.
(Gosh, I go off on tangents when I write my blogs. I’m sorry. Lots of thoughts going on in my head and I want to get them all down on paper and that involves tangents and getting off track sometimes. Deal with it J )
Back to my thoughts on Christmas cards…
This is when I see most people, CORRECTION, let’s be honest…This is when I see most WOMEN send out Christmas cards. I would imagine most men probably could careless and a lot of times don’t even know when their wives send out Christmas cards. Am I right married ladies? Ok…maybe I’m not, but I like to think I’m a little right. After all, I did grow up with a dad and brother. See tangent…focus Alli.
I see most women start sending out Christmas cards either the year they get married and if not then, the year they have their first child. Why is this? Honestly, I never really thought about it until now.
Each year I am receiving more and more Christmas cards because more of my friends are getting married or having babies. As women, do we send these cards out to prove to our friends that we are happy and are FINALLY living the dream we dreamt about when we were little girls?
Speaking from experience, my dream as a little girl was to someday find my prince charming, get married, and have babies. Does this mean when I finally find that I will join the Christmas card club?
Only time will tell. Who really knows what will happen when (if) I get married and/or have kids. Until then, you can keep up with me as much as you choose through this blog and/or Facebook, because you won’t be receiving a Christmas card from this single lady this year. J
Given that, to all my friends and family that read my blog, I wish you a Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukah and a very Happy New Year! I can only imagine 2012 will be that much better than 2011. I believe what they say is true…each year only gets better! BUT why does it have to go so much quicker? I finally understand why my mother says time goes so fast. It’s so true!
Much love,
Alli
