Jan. 3: Where I see happiness

I wrote the other day about how eager I was to un-decorate the second Christmas was over, but there’s one thing I leave up as long as I possibly can: Christmas cards.

Update, 4pm… Four new photo cards arrived in today’s mail! Here’s the new pic.
I will not do this every day.
I promise.

The photo cards get taped up on the inside of our front door as soon as they arrive. I walk past them many times a day, for weeks and sometimes months, and I love the constant reminder that we have friends and family and that they sent us cards and might even think of us warmly. I hate taking the cards down. Last year I finally did it while readying the house for Victor’s birthday party—that means they were up until July. I think that’s my record for the latest I’ve put them away.

I was thrilled to notice last year that Val still had her friends/family cards up long after Christmas, and for the same reason; they simply make her happy. Why does that happiness have to come only at Christmastime? That’s what Val and I want to know. And not a single person has come up with a good enough answer to make us take the cards down any earlier than we want to. Right, Val?

The batch was smaller this year. I have theories about why:

• Maybe the holidays snuck up on everyone, not just us???
• Maybe people didn’t have a decent photo to send and decided not to bother with cards??? Maybe they’re ashamed of their children and/or pets??? (That would actually be hilarious.)
• Maybe there just wasn’t enough Christmas spirit to get cards made and in the mail??? I know a lot of people had a rough year. 2014 wasn’t exactly a non-stop carnival for anyone.
• E-cards. I don’t love them, but they sure are convenient. I send out more every year.
• Maybe people don’t like us??? Naaaaaahhh…

There’s at least one photo card that doesn’t show in the picture; the Lassens’ card was so beautiful that I couldn’t hang it because the tape would’ve ruined at least one photo. Instead, it’s propped on a shelf with the pile of non-photo cards. Still perfectly displayed, just in a class by itself, so to speak. ;)

As they do every year, a few more cards will probably trickle in over the next month. The Devitts’ card will arrive in 2016, the photo dated 2013 and the letter from 2015 (I dare you to deny it, Mike). The late ones don’t bother me at all. Keep ‘em comin’!

Your faces? They make me smile.