I received my first holiday card in the mail yesterday — from a former student who is obviously more on the ball than I am with greetings. I’ve been receiving cards from her every year since I was her activities advisor in the 1990s and it is delightful to watch her children grow. We don’t have any other contact during the year, but her card lets me know that we still have fond memories of when we were in West Virginia together.
I know your to-do list is especially full at this time of year, yet I hope you still make time to send some love through the mail. Social media is nice, but for long-lost friends, people who have impacted you, or those you don’t see often a card has more meaning than a generic post that they may or may not see. The gift of connection is one of the best gifts you can give this season.
Bonus idea: her card, like many others, is a photo greeting instead of a traditional card that you sign and send. As a result, you’re able to extend its life beyond a momentary read by taking a picture of the card and using it as the profile photo in your contact for that person. My friend Cindy makes it a fun New Year’s project to update her phone.
