Cards or No Cards?

I got my first Christmas card of the season yesterday and it was BEAUTIFUL!!! A sweet family I know that moved recently sent a precious 5x7 flat card/picture of their adorable children and I immediately showed Chuck and the girls and hung it on our refrigerator. I want to message her on Facebook and tell her how much I appreciate her sending it and how much I think her kids have grown. I will also (somewhat) apologize for NOT sending out Christmas cards this year. Again.

Yep. You read that right. I may be the only person on the planet that is NOT sending out Christmas cards. In fact, I can't remember the last time we sent any out... but it's been several years. Are you surprised? Shocked? Disgusted? Don't be. I've pretty much given up the Christmas card guilt and have become okay with my decision. For the most part.

I enjoy getting Christmas cards and I keep the photos that come with/on the ones that people have taken the forethought to do in advance. Like I mentioned earlier, I like to see how people's children have grown from one year to the next and I bet I even have some relatives who don't live close by that wish I would do something like that with my crew. In a small way, I do too, but written correspondence has not always been my strong suit. In fact, I'm STILL working on thank-you cards from when Anna was in the hospital back in September. I'm SO not the typical southern lady, am I? So Christmas cards... eh. I just quit bothering a few years ago when life (along with the holiday season) got a little too hectic for us.

At first I decided that I would only send out cards to the people who were so kind to send us a card. Boy did THAT cut the list down in a hurry! And then after a year or two of that, I just got busy and forgot to get them out on time. In fact, the unopened, very full box of cards is still tucked away waiting for their chance to grace another home's mantel or doorway (and eventually their garbage can or recycling bin). Sigh. It just seems like a lot of waste to me.

This is the part where my sister will start calling me a hippie, or a snuggler of the trees, but think about it... Even if ALL the cards got recycled, it still seems a little excessive to me. With all the social media that we have today, I can keep in contact with anyone I want to and post pictures of my kids to my wall. I can wish everyone a Merry Christmas without waiting in line, buying said cards, purchasing stamps, hand addressing every.single.one. and then tieing up the wonderful USPS who are busy enough making sure Aunt Edna's fleece-lined booties make it to her house before December 25th. See. I don't send Christmas cards because I care. ((Snort.))

I understand that for many of you, it's a tradition, and trust me, I am in NO WAY trying to lure you to the dark side. I still have many Christmas cards signed by family members who are no longer with us and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I'm simply explaining to you why your mailbox will be missing a Christmas card from our family. We all have to do what works for us. And for me, it no Christmas cards. Is there any part of Christmas that you dread because it's "what you've always done in the past" or because it's what you think you are "expected" to do? Grinches UNITE!!! Let us all cut back where we can and make the holiday season a little less chaotic for ourselves and those around us. Who wouldn't like a less stressful Christmas? Sign me up!