My grandmother passed away a little over a month before Christmas - her favorite holiday. I used to send her Christmas cards - not the electronic ones. But those made from recycled paper and with handwritten notes.
She was used to getting handwritten letters and DIY cards from me ever since I was young. In art class, when we had to write letters or create our own cards, I’d make them for my grandma.
We don’t write words with pen and paper anymore. It’s very rare nowadays. And much rarer are beautiful words of love and happiness inked in paper. It’s much faster to just text Happy Holidays or send those Happy Christmas gifs. And a lot easier to just do nothing at all.
“Why so quiet?” These were the first 3 words in my grandma’s letter after not hearing from me for years. You see, as I became engrossed in my adult life far away from my provincial roots - I didn’t make time to write my grandma letters. The city with its charming speed made me believe that I didn’t have time for such trivial things. I did have the time.
A few days after my grandmother passed away, I stumbled upon the cards and letters I wrote to her. Neatly kept in her drawers, were my handwritten notes. Even with an unforgivable crappy penmanship as mine, she kept my notes.
When was the last time you sent a handwritten and thoughtful Christmas card?