Christmas cards

Today I am thankful for a few minutes to write a quick blog.  Unfortunately it comes because two-thirds of my children are sick with the stomach bug and thus sound asleep on a Sunday morning.  Nonetheless, I am going to take advantage of some peace and quiet to quickly write out my thoughts.

I am sitting here preparing to address our family Christmas cards.  I started thinking about the cards themselves.  Ours, like many, are a nice collage of family photos from this year with a small square with our names and a quick message wishing our loved ones a blessed Christmas.  

I started thinking that sending Christmas cards used to be about genuinely sending warm wishes and Christmas blessings to our friends and family.  I think it has turned into more of a way to showcase a photo of ourselves and our kids/families/pets.  Like so many things in life it seems to have become a self-centered activity.  I have certainly been falling into that trap the last few years.  It's become a way to show people the fun vacations we have been on this year (guilty as charged, ours are beach pictures this year), or how beautiful our Christmas tree turned out this year (yeah, that was last year's photo I think), or how stinkin' adorable our kids are (that's me pretty much every year) or my face lift and new boobs (maybe next year). 

Maybe showing ourselves off was a bit more necessary or at the very least excusable before Facebook enabled us to share every single moment and photo with our family and friends, but now it seems less necessary.   Nearly everyone on my Christmas card list either sees my children frequently or sees pictures of them on Facebook. 

I used to be fairly decent at sending cards to family and loved ones on holidays or special occasions.  I rarely, rarely do it anymore.  Yet every Christmas I make sure to get them out to everyone.  It's all seeming very self-indulgent the more and more I think about it. 

So, I'm not preaching about it, I'm just sort of doing some self-reflection.  Just trying to bring myself back to the "reason for the season."  So this year when you get my self-indulgent card showing off my cute little kids on our fun beach trip, please also know that I very sincerely wish each of you the merriest of Christmas's.

I wish you this Irish Christmas Blessing:
The light of the Christmas star to you
The warmth of hearth and home to you
The cheer and good will of friends to you
The hope of a childlike heart to you
The joy of a thousand angels to you
The love of the Son and God's peace to you