Greeting Card Saga

Years ago when I became a mom for the first time it seemed everyone wanted to hear about the newest addition to our family and see pictures of him (so I thought!!!).  So, I began writing and sending an annual holiday newsletter with pictures, letters and photos that evolved over the years to include separate columns for every member of the family (with my kids eventually writing their own with much coaxing!).

Sending out these newsletters was on the top of the list of priorities for a dozen years that I could remember. The planning would begin months in advance. The list of recipients grew to include not only close friends and family but business colleagues, associates and clients. Most people expressed joy in receiving it and looked forward to getting their annual update and greetings from us. Several joked about how I must have had too much free time or that I falesly believed that people really cared about what my kids were doing, how they were doing at school and what my husband and I were doing in our careers and personal lives.

But after carefully crafting the newsletter for over a decade, I finally came to the difficult conclusion that it wasn’t a priority anymore. That year, I reluctantly sent out one of those picture cards of the family. The next year, another photo greeting card. The following year, a store-bought card with a hand-written note and a separate family photo. Then, last year, a card with no photo…just a signature!

This year, I wasn’t even going to send out cards! I reflected on how important cards (and newsletters) were to me over the years and how they lost their importance in the busyness of life. I chose a reactive method of sending out holiday greetings in response to those I received and didn’t send any out in addition.

So, as the saga continues, next year as my eldest  finishes high school and my youngest begins, I will again revisit the holiday greeting card ritual to evalutate the importance of the tradition, possible alternatives, and then decide what 2012 brings.

What holiday traditions are most important to you?

Have these holiday traditions held the same level of importance over the years? If not, how have they changed?

What new traditions have you put in place in recent years?

What traditions have you eliminated?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!!  Share your thoughts and answers to these questions in the comments section below. And…don’t be checking your mailbox for a holiday greeting card from me this year, unless you sent me one first! 

Happy Holidays to all and to all a healthy and successful New Year!

About The PriorityPro
Natalie Gahrmann, an international expert, empowers professional women to ignite their passion, demonstrate personal leadership and exude greater confidence. Her background in business acumen and leadership development is instinctively applied through 1-1 coaching, workshops and keynote presentations. She can help you gain clarity, focus and direction so that you accomplish more of what's important to YOU!


Comments

10 Responses to “Greeting Card Saga”
  1. Debra Marks says:

    I felt the exact same way the last two years. I used to decorate the house for Chanukah but the holiday came so early this year. All the best to you and yours!

  2. Ira Smith says:

    I use ecards during the year to stay in touch with my business clients, but at the Holidays, Chanukah/Christmas, I use real snail mail greeting cards, because when I get an ecard I say, “that is nice -delete”. This year I was pressed for time and did not do the normal organizing to get our cards ordered on time from the printer. I thankfully found an internet based system that I got so excited about I want to share it with you. I designed, signed and snail mailed out our 360 Holiday cards and was able to easily do both Chanukah and Christmas cards to the appropriate clients in a couple of hours, not days. We started on November 30 and our cards were mailed on December 1. We were the first of our competitors out on the street with our beautiful cards. My Holiday gift to you is that you can try it out for FREE to send yourself or a loved one a heartfelt card right now at http://www.sendoutcards.com/b2b. Happy Holidays.

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