holiday cards
Have you ever noticed that single people (or maybe more accurately, people without children) do not send those photo holiday cards? Is it good for my mental health to receive all these reminders of everyone else's "perfect families?" OK, the kids are cute, it's interesting to see how they've grown since last year. What's keeping me from doing one with my best travel photo of the year - just me or me and a friend or me and the scenery? I know my friends with families envy my travel opportunites. But my holiday cards serve the purpose of letting people know I value them. These photo cards seem to say (to me at least) here's what I want you to know about me and mine, not here's what I want you to know about my feelings for you. I don't think I've ever received an annual newsletter from a single person either. There isn't time to be writing blog entries while trying to survive the holidays and yet it's a perfect time to start a blog on this topic since the holidays provide constant reminders of how being partnered is supposed to be the goal.
1 comment:
True dat, Eos. Some thoughts:
1) If you need permission, I hereby grant you full access to send your sexiest, most envy-inspiring travel photo next Christmas.
2) That said, I wholeheartedly agree with you that when I send holiday cards, it's to say, "Hey, you're important to me!" That's probably why it takes me so long to write them (which brings up another myth to discuss at another time: the idea that single people have nothing but free time).
3) The family photos - while cute - also don't provide the same visceral satisfaction as opening a card and propping it up somewhere. I remember my mom had this weird cardboard cylinder and yarn contraption where you would thread the card through and then they would collect and spiral around in a sun formation. A photo card just wouldn't have worked. This year, I did have some new parents send their traditional funky Christmas card with a funky baby photo inside. I liked that.
4) I hope others feel like this blog can serve as a respite during the holidays...and beyond.
Post a Comment