So Tell Me What You REALLY Think About My Letter

It’s that time of year again…time to take guesses about who will criticize and who will be pleased about receiving our annual “Holtzhafer Christmas Letter.”

In 2000, the year of our marriage, the first official “Holtzhafer Christmas Letter” was born.

I always appreciated the idea of getting an overview of a loved one’s year, especially those who aren’t in our day-to-day lives. And selfishly, forcing myself to write an annual letter has allowed me a summary of each year to keep in the scrapbook.

I hadn’t thought twice about sending it until I heard someone mumbling at a Christmas party about his true feelings regarding family Christmas letters.

“Why on earth do I need to hear about every wonderful thing that’s happened to them this year? My year stank! It’s the last thing I want to hear! It’s just an excuse to brag.”

Ouch! I had never thought of it that way. Upon opening a family Christmas letter I become giddy to see what news that particular family has to share this year. I honestly do!

It never occurred to me that people might see the annual letter as a bragging tool.

Christmas is a time of counting our blessings and valuing family and friends. It’s a time of hope for our future. It’s a time of reflection of the good things in our lives. A family letter shares this good news and keeps distant friends up to speed.

So the question remains – is it better to send a simple card with a signature, perhaps a photo card with a basic holiday message?

Or, do people actually enjoy receiving annual family letters?

I know what my preference is. If you’re paying for a stamp, why not fill us in on what’s happening in your life? In this age of Facebook, texting, and unlimited cell phone minutes, perhaps the need for family letters has lessened and is seen in a different light.

All I know is that I get pretty excited to get a letter in the mail these days. They're so few and far between – why not use Christmas as an excuse to send a letter the old-fashioned way?

I’ll spare you the letter this time, but from the Holtzhafer family – Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2012!