Christmas Cards

I love them.  Like I mean, really, really love them.  Could have something to do with all of the moving around, but Christmas cards very nearly bring me to tears.  When my hubby walked in the door this evening with a mitt full of cards that arrived a few days after Christmas I felt like we'd found an extra present under the tree.  The cheesy family photos where someone's hair is always looking a little funky or where someone's kids are so beautiful you want to take your own kids for haircuts and new wardrobes immediately.  The letters that you know really only highlight the good stuff and leave out reality but somehow make you feel connected anyway.  And can I just say that photo cards are the best thing to ever happen to this sacred tradition?  Every year I completely cover a couple of doors with beautiful pictures of family and friends and smile each time I walk by them.  They hang out long after the tree has been packed up and then are retired to shoe boxes with the promise of a permanent scrapbook home someday.  May never happen, but I take comfort in my own good intentions.  So early December, mid-January, Merry Valentines Day -- I'm not picky, just keep them coming.  Because they feel like little stitches in the tapestry of our transient lives.  Seeing all those smiling faces in one (or two, depending on the economy that year) place makes my heart happy.

Crystal