<p>How do y’all feel about Christmas letters? I would think that lots of folks on CC would have the ability to write the type of letters that people love to hate…“Junior was valedictorian of his class and is now at Yale. Daughter just received early admission to MIT…”</p>
<p>I admit that we write long Christmas letters each year. We only send them to folks we never see (seriously - if we see you more than twice a year, you aren’t on our list). Most are relatives and friends from towns we haven’t lived in for 20 years. I figure that the recipient can read the letter or not read the letter - doesn’t matter to me. We personally hate to get Christmas cards from long lost friends only sighed with their names…all we know is that they didn’t die that year. We get some letters from Husband’s friends that I don’t read and vice versa.</p>
<p>Plus, some letters have great entertainment value. Remember the episode of *Raymond *where they all sat around and read the letters aloud and laughed at them?</p>
<p>One of Husband’s college roommates is leading such a parallel life to ours…same number of kids, same ages, similar vacations and interests. It’s always such fun to read their letters.</p>
<p>Love’em. I’m insatiably curious about people–I really want to hear what’s going on–bragging, rambling, funny, plain, touching, sad, happy–I’m fine with any.</p>
<p>I love them, too. I even read all the letters my parents get, even if I have never met the people sending them! But I have to say, I had a hard time getting going on mine this year. A stint of unemployment, divorce finalized, pretty much no vacations due to the economy, and all my free time taken up with political activity that only half of my readers would appreciate I noticed that I got some cards this year where the letter that usually accompanies it was missing. I was finally motivated by… getting a few letters, and realizing as I read them how much I enjoy them. So my cards will be late (going out tomorrow), but they do have a letter in them.</p>
<p>We send one every year, complete with photos and we LOVE getting them. We also hate getting a card from people we never see that just has a signature! We would love to know what is going on in their lives. </p>
<p>One letter we received a few years ago is such a classic example of the “bad Christmas letter”, I saved it. Here are some excerpts:</p>
<p>“Daugher is still going through emotional problems and no medications have seemed to help and she has been on most of them. In January, she will be going through 6 electroshock treatments, and then monthly for a year”. </p>
<p>“Son finally found a job he likes very much and is FINALLY getting his finances stabilized.”</p>
<p>“Husband likes our new town but wife is still finding it hard to adjust. Husband assures her it will get better.”</p>
<p>I was reading this letter to my sister and she said, “Heavens, the next thing they are going to say is that the dog died!” Well…</p>
<p>The letter ends with, “Susie, our Labrador, couldn’t hold on any longer so we said goodbye”.</p>
<p>After receiving this one, we try extra hard to keep our letters positive!! Some parts of your life you just should not share with just anybody!</p>
<p>intparent–years ago I got a newsy letter that set out some of what you have gone through. It wasn’t self-pitying, just informative. It ended with the sentiment that while each year has its good and bad, the sender always looked forward to the up coming year and gave good wishes to all those who got the letter and had also struggled that year. I still have that letter.</p>
<p>It’s great to know that we all struggle and that life is always something to look forward to. BEST WISHES to you for next year.</p>
<p>Gosh, I bet folks would like getting a letter that described a less than perfect life. Please don’t make people guess about the divorce! Years ago I got a Christmas card from my college roommate, signed with only her name and her son’s. What happened to the husband? It did prompt me to call her and hear the story…so sad that she went through what she went through pretty much alone.</p>
<p>Another vote for love them. We’ve gotten quite a few e-letters and I have to say I don’t care for them as much as mailed ones, but I’m sure I’ll adjust as they become more common. Intparent, we didn’t send out a letter for several years for reasons different from yours but still had no heart to write one. H was insistent we at least send a photo so we did. This year we did a card, photo, AND letter to ~180 because we moved in July. I’m sure your recipients will still enjoy your news. In fact I enjoy the ones after Christmas a bit more because all the rush is over and you can savor them :)</p>
<p>I don’t mind them - especially the ones sent from friends who have a sense of humor! Fun reading!!!</p>
<p>There’s a fine line between being upbeat and positive and reporting good news vs. bragging.
Upbeat and positive = great! Bragging = give me a break!</p>
<p>One reason I love them is that whether or not intended, the letter is ALWAYS funny. Reading out loud one that has the cure for cancer and winning Miss America is a total laugh riot.</p>
<p>My favorites were from a friend of my parents’ - I wasn’t on her list but my folks would sent them to me.</p>
<p>The lady and her husband had always been hypochondriacs…even in their 20s and 30s they’d go to the Mayo Clinic for vacation. Husband grew quite obsese and died young of a heart attack. Years passed. As luck would have it, the wife developed a very rare blood disease that left her white as a sheet. Her Christmas card letters were hysterical because she so gleefully described her various medical treatments, as if she was going to Disneyworld instead of the hospital. The disease finally did get her, but we know that she died happy, after having years of constant medical treatment!</p>
<p>I enjoy catching up with friends and family, so am also voting for “love 'em”, but just once I’d like to get one that says “well little Johnnie got paroled early, so will be home for the holidays with an ankle monitor”…</p>
<p>My only complaint is that to save a few dollars in postage it seems the letters are now in tiny print. COME ON–the eyes ain’t what they used to be.</p>
<p>We get one with a beautifully snarky comment. The writer was the daughter in law of Husband’s college landlady. Years ago, the landlady’s son dumped her for a younger woman. Landlady has stayed a lot closer to the former DIL than to her own son. Anyway, this year the card from the ex said, “Joe has now divorced his third wife…”</p>
<p>I passed that year but I wanted to do a holiday letter on my now ex-BIL’s nuptuals to the tatooed, ex-con topless dancer and the ensuing year long round of mutual assault reports. Funny thing, I really LIKED both of them.</p>
<p>My husband was a amateur photographer, and his favorite subject was our children. So he would send out a postcard of various pictures of the children doing their favorite activities with a link to a webpage, where he would write our christmas letter. Then he got sick, and started a blog to keep friends and family updated. He died last Feb. All the Christmas cards and letters I’ve received don’t have his name on them, so they all know he died, but I probably should get word out that we are doing okay. </p>
<p>I love reading how others are doing, especially those I see a few times through the year, but now that the kids are bigger I don’t see their children. The pictures and letters give me the “Oh my goodness they have grown!!!” feeling.</p>
Will you send me yours? :D</p>
I noticed that I got some cards this year where the letter that usually accompanies it was missing. I was finally motivated by… getting a few letters, and realizing as I read them how much I enjoy them. So my cards will be late (going out tomorrow), but they do have a letter in them.</p>