For the Love of Mail

If Jesus Christ is the Word of God, then I guess He might be the first Christmas letter ever.

The plan of God revealed in a completely new way. His Message to mankind. Delivered in a barn. The what-God’s-been-up-to all wrapped up in skin. Picture of God. Jesus Christ.

I have always loved catching up through Christmas letters and pictures and cards from people I love. It’s one of my favorite things about Christmastime.

The envelopes filling my mailbox. If I’m home when the mailwoman comes, I wait at my window until her car drives away. Then I go as quick as I can to find what envelope treasures await me. A friend’s name. A red pen. A cute address label. Sometimes I even get one of those embossed return addresses right there on the envelope itself. I love those.

Since I have kids who also love to open mail, I leave some for them. Unless I’m just too excited, and then I pull the Mommy trump card and call it one of the rights of parenthood. I love, love, love to catch up with my friends through the letters they send. And I especially adore any and all pictures I get.

I decided last year to not send them. Even though I love them so. Call me a hypocrite. I had too much much on my plate. I think I got crossed off some people’s lists because of it. That’s okay. I do love the ones I get. And understand the ones I don’t. It gets expensive. It’s a lot of work. And, really, what happens to them at the end of the month, anyway?

But the truth remains. I love me some Christmas mail.

This year, I find myself on the other side of the world from most of the people I love and would send cards to. I’ve decided to send it via email. No envelopes. Or red pens. No embossed return address. But mail, just the same.

I think of it as a little gift to the people who mean something to me. The gift of letting someone know I’m glad they’re part of our lives. The gift of thoughtfulness. The gift of my adorable kiddos’ smiles.

And now for you: Will you send Christmas mail this year? Do you enjoy it as much as I do, or is this just another one of my crazy idiosynchrasies?