Christmas Cards and Letters

I love getting them. And though I write a blog I actually prefer getting these Christmas messages the old fashioned snail mail way rather than electronically (and I will be pleased to get any Reply you might choose to send via whatever medium.)

For more than 30 years the first one has come from the now long retired Senior pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Manhattan, New York, Dr. John Damm. He always includes a well thought out homily, an Advent theme.

This is followed by the assortment with which we are all familiar. They run the full gamut-highly artistic versions of ancient classic paintings , silly ditties with cartoon figures, messages allegedly written by pets. Some feel like the same sermon said in the same way year after year. At least three or four will feature the family biographies of budding Nobel Prize winners, the next Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Mother Teresa or Abraham Lincoln. I read them all with always a touch of disappointment when there is no personal note and even the signature is pre-printed.

Each one is guaranteed a second reading. Jane and I save each of those greetings where we can get at them every day. Then each morning we pull one out , re-read the message and say a short prayer for the sender. Since we get about 300 of these a year it works out great and by the following Christmas our Christmas Letter box is empty.

Of course we send out our Christmas letter too. My wife Jane is the organized one in this marriage so we can find many of the letters of the 58 years of our married life. In re-reading them I find no literary masterpieces or eye-watering narrative. Yet these Christmas messages (both those sent and those received ) are precious. They provide glimpses into the joy, trauma and everyday routines which make up our lives. And because they are in relation to a very special religious observance they point not only to things transient but also to the friendships, love, values and hope that transcend not only the Christmas season but our very lives .

So keep those cards and letters coming.