*Sigh* Today we're reluctantly tackling a delicate subject, one that is divisive, potentially flammable and could, in fact, earn me some enemies.
I'm referring to Christmas letters.
Look, I know they're popular. In some families, writing them is a longstanding holiday tradition. They're a great way to keep up with friends and family. They're a great way to share a year's worth of experiences (and possibly a photo or two) on fancy paper.
I understand the appeal of writing them, I'm just not sure why anyone reads them.
Now, I know I'm generalizing quite a bit here. I know not every Christmas letter is a rambling, long-winded diatribe that painstakingly details the family's top 25 events of the past year. I know not every Christmas letter is an excuse to brag about how little Johnny finished in sixth place at the annual country club swim meet last July. I know not every Christmas letter is an excuse to blather on and on about mother's foot surgery last February or father's business trip to Miami in April.
They're not all that way, but a good many of them are. And my fear is, most of us don't even realize it.
Believe me, I'm not looking down my nose at anyone. When it comes to being self-centered, nobody's better than I am. When it comes to telling you about my kids, while forgetting to ask you about yours, I'm a world-class bragger.
But several years ago I decided to avoid doing it in written form and slipping it into a Christmas card. I think I just read one too many holiday missives and thought to myself, "Wow, those people are perfect! Their kids are angels, their dog is remarkably well-trained, their cat is surprisingly affectionate, their careers have really taken off and, obviously, all their hopes and dreams came true last year."
And then I thought, "What are we doing wrong? My kids are great, but one is flunking math and another got in trouble at school for making disgusting noises with his armpits. I love my job, but it doesn't pay me enough to support my family in the way I'd like. Our fence blew over in March and the 'fridge broke down in May. Shoot, if I'd known Santa was giving out perfect lives I would have asked for one years ago."
Okay, most of that was an exaggeration, but you get my point, right? There's nothing wrong with being happy with your life or expressing to friends and family how much you've been blessed. My only advice would be to remember that not everyone had such a spectacular year. Some people lost their jobs, or worse yet, lost beloved friends and family members.
I'm sorry if my words here have offended anyone. Please don't think of me as a Scrooge. Believe me, I know it's a wonderful life ... but it's never quite as wonderful as our Christmas letters make it seem.
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