By Lee Scott
Somewhere sitting in a bin at the back of the Post Office are all the Christmas cards that people have mailed to me. The cards have never been delivered. This must be the reason I did not receive hardly any cards this year.
Oh, my insurance agent sent along a card with a 2019 calendar. (Thank you!) My doctor and his staff sent a photo card. Thanks Dr. Clark! Great picture. Then there was my college alma mater card saying, “Happy Holidays” and it included an envelope for the annual alumnae fund. (Really?) Fortunately, my BSFF (best Southern friend forever) sent a card she had made, which was beautiful.
But what about all my other friends around the country? What about my relatives? The cards must be lost. Maybe they all forgot to stamp the cards and put on return addresses. Maybe they don’t have my Beaufort address.
As I sat there looking at my almost empty Christmas card basket and whining about my lack of cards my spouse said, “Lee, it’s the times. No one wants to bother anymore. Too much trouble.”
This from a man whose secretary used to buy the Christmas cards, address them, put stamps on them and make him sign the card. He eventually bought the pre-printed ones with his company name on the cards.
Now I recall a time when I could fashion a large Christmas tree outline on the front hall closet using all the Christmas cards I received. One year I lined the dining room door with ribbon and cards.
“What happened?” I said to my husband.
“Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter,” he responded. “People just send out a blanket Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Get over it.”
He is right. I should not impose my own thinking or behavior on someone else. But I miss the cards. I still love to get those annual letters from friends and family. Those letters where people summarize their year in one page, glossing over the bad times. “Harry broke his leg skiing this past April but loved the toboggan ride down the side of the mountain with the ski patrol.”
Some people have stopped doing them because they have been told they are narcissistic. I disagree. For me they are friendship Christmas letters that keep me updated on their lives, especially those friends I don’t see all the time.
So, as I stood there at my mailbox waiting for Joanne, my mail lady (we always exchange cards), I am hopeful that those missing cards and letters will be showing up one day. But, if not, have a happy New Year, in case you did not get my card.
