Christmas Cards in a New Spot

I love sending Christmas cards. Or any cards for that matter. I always have. But Christmas cards are my favorite cards to mail.

I watched my mom and grandma make out Christmas cards for years, sometimes sending over a hundred cards a year. It was natural I would pick up this tradition as well.

In 2008, a new Christmas card tradition began for me. Our daughter was a seventh grader. She wanted to be dropped off at the new two-story mall with her two friends to shop and have fun. My mom brain thought—three twelve-year-old girls dropped off at a mall with swarms of people? Um, that was a definite no!

I offered something else. I would take them. Which of course promptly received a response of rolled eyes. But I sweetened the deal. I would also treat them to lunch at the food court, their choice. Interest piqued.

I wasn’t into sitting at the mall for two to three hours, and my shopping was complete, so I decided I would put my Christmas card supplies in a tote and work on those while they shopped. Everyone was happy. They shopped. I worked. 

The rule was they could shop wherever in the mall they wanted as long as I knew which section they were headed. In one hour, they had to check in with me at the table and let me know the direction they were going for the next block of time. The three shoppers were in agreement and off they went.

I got my iced tea refill, picked a small table near the tree where I could listen to Christmas music, and pulled my card items out of the bag.

I watched the people. I addressed a card or two. I listened to the music. Addressed more cards. Then came the first check-in. The three girls talked over each other telling all about the things and people they’d seen. They talked a mile a minute and I couldn’t help but smile—both inside and out. Inquiring if I thought their mom would like this or that. Asking if they could leave the bags there while they shopped the next part of the mall. Apparently my weird idea of hanging out at the mall while they hung out at the mall wasn’t as bad as they thought.

Off they went again and I returned to my task of addressing the cards. I would sign the cards, write a note, address them, add seals, put a stamp on and put it in the tote. I’ve never typed a Christmas letter, but I loved writing the notes in each card. Some years that would be a handwritten note in over one hundred cards.

Finally the girls were done, they came back to the table now wanting a drink or a snack. It’d been three plus hours. I allowed them to have their snack of choice, and then we were on our way.

I delivered each girl home then went to the post office to drop off my cards. They’d shopped. I’d addressed and mailed cards. A Saturday well spent.

What started as a way to protect my daughter and her friends became a tradition I did for many years. After they all got their driver’s license, I was no longer needed for the Christmas shopping taxi. But I really enjoyed my little excursion and continued to pack up and go to the mall to address my cards until we moved to South Carolina a couple of years ago.

While addressing my cards last week, I remembered those card addressing events. And to me, it was an event—I’d made it so! I’ve always shopped throughout the year, so by December my gifts were all purchased which allowed me to sit and relax and relish the sites and sounds of Christmas.

I felt nostalgic and thought maybe I should do that again this year, it had been a couple years and it might be fun. I had looked forward to it every year, maybe this year would be the year I would bring it back. I could use the cheer.

But Covid. Hasn’t that been the buzzword or phrase for everything different this year?

I really couldn’t sit at a table at the food court without feeling guilty for taking one of the few seats available for people to eat lunch. And should I really be out in the mall anyway?

Instead, I created a new spot for my Christmas card signing. I turned on some Christmas music nice and loud—like the mall—and placed my special card container on the table beside the Christmas tree. Turned on the tree lights. Made a mug of hot tea. Next I got out a clean fountain pen and loaded it with my new Mistletoe green ink I bought specifically for my Christmas cards. Everything was set and I was ready to sign cards and write little notes in them.

Though not the same as the atmosphere of the busy mall, the joy of filling out the cards was still there. The cards to be mailed are less and less each year. People are gone from my life for various reasons. But those still in the address book are treasured and prayed for as I address each envelope.

Maybe next year I’ll be back at the mall addressing my cards.

Do you send Christmas cards each year?  If so, do you have a special tradition with addressing them? Please share with us below.