I didn't send Christmas cards this year

Well, the title pretty much gives it away, but if you are anxiously awaiting a piece of snail mail wishing you good holiday cheer from the Brian O’Neill family, you will be waiting a long while. I didn’t send Christmas cards this year. I don’t know why. The fact that I hate sending Christmas cards is probably the most likely cause. I hate determining the final list of potential addressees. I hate downloading the address book and wondering which have changed and which are still accurate, racking my brain to determine the change of address emails/cards I forgot to update. I hate determining which photo of my family is the least awful yet most accurate representation of ourselves. I hate sending the inevitable humiliating emails to the few people just to ask for their address that is missing from my file. Why can’t I just send an e-card with a photo at that point? I just don’t like sending the cards. I like receiving them. Completely selfish, I know. Every year for the last three years, I have told Brian, “I think I am not going to send Christmas cards this year. We have so much going on. We are traveling too much. People understand. (ya de ya de ya)” Every year he laughs because I cave around December 21 after receiving several ourselves, and I frantically find an overnight photo card service in our price range staying up until 2 a.m. sorting addresses and writing a Christmas letter. I told Brian the same this year. He laughed again, but I did not cave. The reason I did not cave, though, was not entirely due to my dislike of the Christmas card process. It was because I was working on a project for his mom and dad that I can’t accomplish due to software and technology failure and ignorance on my part. It was because our hard drive that had every photo we have taken from March to November of 2007 crashed. It was because I spend too much time working on this blog. It was because (ya de ya de ya)… I have many more excuses, but something tells me you don’t care. Then Brian said something to me that sealed the deal. He said, “You have the blog that updates our lives for others to see and has plenty of photos and videos. You would just be sending the cards to the same people that check the blog.” Justification. Thank you, honey!

At first, I felt victorious dodging this task I consider such a nuisance; however, the guilt is almost unbearable. I hate the feeling of unreciprocated kindness and good wishes. I have begun to dread the holiday mail seeing the bright and cheery red, blue, gold, and silver envelopes with our address hand-written because I know what is enclosed! I can’t bear to open another holiday note stating their eager anticipation for our photo they receive each year. Ugh! Each card its own telltale heart beating relentlessly, mercilessly under the floorboard, becoming louder and LOUDER! These cards are from people I see once a year or that I haven’t seen in years. Isn’t that the whole point of the Christmas card? I AM thinking of friends and family this time of year. I am just LAZY! I admit it! Just so you know: I am from the bottom of my heart SORRY that I didn’t send a photo card this year and the tradition will re-convene in 2008. If the telltale heart beats any louder, you just may receive one in February.


KEEP BELIEVING!