Christmas Greetings Past Due

Written by Jen Sunday, 19 December 2010 15:17

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A Facebook friend chided me recently for failing to send my family's holiday greeting letter these past few years. Apparently, there are a few souls out there who looked forward to our humor-laced "annual disaster letter," as somebody once coined it. I adopted this unconventional update when my children were young and the rest of the world seemed to be having exciting adventures. My husband and I had a great time crafting an update about what we DIDN'T do (as well as chronicling our many unbelievable-but-true mishaps), thus creating somewhat of a Christmas tradition.

As our mailbox fills once again with photos and family updates and the sweetest reminders of Christmas past, I am forced to face the daunting task of writing our own story. When I look back on these last few years, my memories are a tumble of moments consisting of the mundane, the poignant (but only to us) and...thanks to the foibles and pranks of two teen boys...the inappropriate for public exposure.

Is it significant that we (ok, I) have destroyed roughly two coffee makers a year? (How does one do that?) Is it noteworthy that my greatest personal accomplishment is hanging the window scarves I purchased two years ago? Does anyone really care that we now spend more on acne treatments than food? Shall I chronicle the pets my daughter has adopted, those that have disappeared and the neurotic dog we are currently trying to rehabilitate?

To my anxious friend I can only say, "You asked for it." But our story is insignificant. I may or may not get this missive completed by Christmas. St. Patrick's Day is a more realistic goal. Regardless, the true story-the real story-happened 2,000 years ago in a Bethlehem manger.

Merry Christmas to all!