Christmas Cards Are Better Than Santa

I love sending and getting Christmas cards. It's one of my absolute most favorite things about this whole season. Electronic ones do not have the same flurry of excitement to them - sorry. I love dashing to the mailbox, seeing pictures, pretty cards and getting notes from folks that I might not have seen or heard from for an entire year. The weird thing is that even if I forget your birthday or to keep in touch, I still appreciate the gift you have been in my life and wonder how life is going.

And I love writing our Christmas letter. Mainly it's because I'm a dork, but I love thinking through a theme for our year and condensing all of our adventures onto one page (Christmas letters should never be more than one page - it's in the Bible).

More than all the presents and almost as much as the pilgrimage to find a tree, writing to loved ones, reminding myself and them that they have touched my life, prepares my heart for singing Silent Night. I know that Christmas is twelve days and it's not really all about Silent Night, but for me in that moment of singing and seeing all those beloved people lit up in the dark with tears of sadness and peace streaming down faces is Christmas.

Everything is always a bit more beautiful and peaceful by candlelight, especially with a good soundtrack. Folks who have had a difficult year, folks who have made my year difficult; people I know and those I don't all look like angels. The coming of Christ is reflected so brilliantly in all those faces.

In Eastern Orthodox tradition, all congregational members are buried to face the east so they may be the first to witness the second coming of Christ, but the priest is buried facing west so he may see the glory of God reflected in the eyes of his parishioners as he always has.

I suppose I am a maniac about cards because I want folks who have been a part of my life to know that I am thankful for the glimpse of Christ I saw in them (and it's fun to brag about the kids).