Who doesn’t love a Christmas card? I can tell you. It’s all of the mothers that have to orchestrate a photo shoot, bribe children and put the cards together. They certainly love the finished product and are happy to distribute them to their friends and family. But, any mother who tells you she loves putting her Christmas card together is suspect in my book.
The picture is 90% of your Christmas card dilemma. If you are a forward thinker, and do regular family photos, you’re a step ahead. Of course, you’ve got to schedule them early enough so they are ready for card use. If you can manage this, you have a litany of professional photos to choose from and, you are winning at life. If you’re like the other 95% of moms, Christmas has inexplicably appeared earlier than you anticipated and you find yourself rolling into December with exactly no pictures of any of your children. How did this happen? Sure, you’ve got pictures of one kid, but not all of them together. In the photos that include all of your children only one is actually looking at the camera or not in the middle of an eye roll. You have a copious amount of pictures of them making weird faces, hitting each other or perfecting a Fortnite dance, but those don’t really evoke the holiday spirit. So, if you’re out on the professional photos, you’re going to need one—I’m sorry.
Depending on the ages of your children, this can be the most difficult thing you do all year. If your children are of an age where you need an up to the minute photo to reflect their ever changing, cherub like faces, you’re life just got exponentially harder. Here’s where I will attempt to bring relief to you mothers of young babes—use the last, best picture you have in your phone or on your camera. I know that you know that little Johnny is two months older now and looks completely different, but guess what? No one else does, nor do they care. The sweet recipients of your card are just so happy to see any image of little Johnny; they don’t care if it reflects his true chronological age. Do yourself a favor and choose a picture you already have.
If your kids are older, your problems are a bit different. They either have no interest in taking any kind of pictures for any reason, or they fancy themselves a budding art director and want to take 10,000 pictures when you’re really only looking for ONE! Either way, you’ve got issues. You are usually forced into bribing or threatening the unwilling –don’t judge, these cards all take time to ship and you don’t want to be doing this until the end of December. Or, you are forced to endure the hour long photo shoot with your pre-teen daughter along with the numerous hours pouring over photo selection, editing and the emotional break down that will surely occur—notice I didn’t mention who’s breakdown? Could be hers? Could be yours? Could be both? Merry Christmas!
So, why do we do it? I have friends who have opted out of sending Christmas cards—we’re still friends. Why do the rest of us subject ourselves to this each and every year? My theory is because we love receiving them. We love getting a glimpse at our college roommates/old neighbors/childhood friends. That little 5×7 piece of cardstock–perhaps with foil, die cut edges, embossed return envelope, but I digress… that little card makes us feel connected. It connects us to the people in our lives that we deemed important enough to make the “list.” To all of those people who have meant something to us on our journey through this crazy life, it’s an annual wink and a nod. It says, “I’m thinking about you, you’re important to me, you matter.” And, because when we receive them we get this warm and fuzzy feeling; we are compelled to return the favor.
In the busiest season of life, during the busiest time of the year–it is nice to return the favor. There is something very simple and sweet about letting someone know you think of them. So, press on Chirstmas card warriors! Remember when you’re cursing the entire process, that it’s not the actual card or the photo(s) in it, but the thought behind it. Utilize your photojournalism skills, your crafty editing, your power of persuasion and coercion, and create a little piece of cardstock that spreads your family’s love. That little card will surely make someone smile, and maybe that’s worth it?