Those Holiday Letters - Page 2

alicedee · ‎07-25-2010

I get a "newsy" letter from time to time, but I always enjoy them...they don't come across as bragging to me. People may think at Christmas they shouldn't bring people down by sharing negatives, so they focus on the good things.

I tend to think as a poster above said that the person who has been out of your life for so many years didn't intend to brag...she may very well have something going on in her life that has caused her to reflect back, and she wanted to reach out to you. My thought on a "Gratitude Journal " is that is something a person would do who was going through some bad stuff...and in reaction was working hard to put the focus on positive things.

If I did get a Brag Letter...I would probably just roll my eyes and send them my usual card. I used to send letters with photos to some elderly relatives when my children and grands were small, as we lived hours away from them and they told me in the cards they sent me how much they enjoyed them. My life is so quiet now no one would be interested lol!

Witchy Woman · ‎03-15-2010

Thanks to all who responded. I always like to hear thoughts, good and bad. Helps me put things in place in my own mind.

Was out and about and pondering this and had these further thoughts.

This woman was the friend of a friend and had been to my home several times for holiday parties. So, perhaps she was thinking back to those days.

She is not an unkind person, and I'm sure she meant well, but it just hit a sour note with me. I didn't know her children, and certainly don't know her granchildren, yet she discussed them and their accomplishments at length.

What would have touched me more was if she had shared a positive memory of her visits to my home, or asked how we had been.

Like my husband said, she must have been going through an OLD address book and found our name.

The letter and card are already in the recycle bin.

Moving on....

alicedee · ‎07-25-2010

@Witchy Woman I hear what you are saying. Sounds like you did what was just right for you, and moved on!

Hope you and your DH have a lovely Christmas! He sounds like a wise fella.

Vivian · ‎03-11-2010

My family is filled with people, on both sides,who have advanced degrees in the humanities. Somehow, that translates into poetry and prose of great length sent to victims everywhere. I love my cousins but reading three page tomes, single spaced, is impossible.

redwingsgal · ‎03-10-2010

I only send a few cards nowadays, but I always hand write a note to the person I am sending it to. No photocopied letter like the bank might send out! I have always handwritten a note on each card and my cards are not pre printed with our names! I even hand address every envelope!

I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend, til death, your right to say it

GingerPeach · ‎03-12-2010

@Witchy Woman

I once got a card from my husband's brother's family. It was signed by his wife (my sister-in-law) with only "The Blank Family," and NOT ONE other word. No adult first names, no kids' names, nothing. If I remember correctly, it might even have been printed (as in, ordered in bulk).

And, of course, that was our last name, too!

Makes me think I could have sent it back to her the following Christmas.

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

I don't send anything. People are offended by good news, people are offended if it is not handwritten to you, or something is printed on a card or envelope. . . people are offended by getting anything.

SO, it's a lot easier and cheaper to keep your mouth shut--especially if you have good news; which is a sure-fire way to PO a lot of people.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

A California cousin I met one time used to send “the Christmas letter”. It was written by the cousin and her husband, and was not one of those bragging letters, it was just BORING, and an endless rambling of every monthly occurrence over the last year. It was made worse by printing on red or green paper, and to squeeze all of the words on one sheet, the font was small.

With moms poor eyesight, she would save the letter, and one of us kids would read it out loud on Christmas Day. At the end, we would all be shaking our heads, saying “WTH”? We just didn’t relate well to their world I guess. After telling my work friends about “the CA Christmas letter” I actually started taking the letter in and reading it during our lunch break. It was a good laugh and left 5 more people shaking their head saying “WTH”?

At some point my cousin and her husband must have gotten the hint about boring Christmas letters, as they have stopped sending them.

Witchy Woman · ‎03-15-2010

@Sooner

I feel the need to say I was not offended. I said it hit a sour note for me. Offended? No.

My opinion is, if you are going to go through the trouble of sending a card to someone, add something that will be meaningful to THAT person.

Otherwise, don't bother. Might as well send a text.

I send cards, but I write a sentence or two recounting some happy memory of the person, or time spent, or something personal.

In the end, whether I heard from this person or not, it didn't matter. I'm glad she's having a good life, but she needn't inform me of all the details.