A Solution: 6 Alternatives to the Christmas Card Dilemma

Well...it's safe to say I'm not the only one who had given some thought to the Christmas card dilemma. Some people were more concerned with WHO - do you send to everyone you've ever met or just those you consider close? And that begs the question "what does close mean?" Other people were less concerned with who got the card than WHAT went on it - a new family photo, professional vs. snapshots, pics that have been seen on Facebook or newly revealed ones? And still others fretted over WHEN, which was solved by Tania's sharing of quotes from "The Official guide to Christmas in the South, or if you can't fry it, spray paint it gold." (For my friends elsewhere, that's real. There are few things a Southern woman loves more than gold paint. Maybe giant bows.) Apparently, according to this piece of fine literature that I will be acquiring ASAP, "There are certain social needs that can only be met at this special time, [such as] advertising the family name. This is the only time of year when five bucks and a poinsettia can get the family name in the church bulletin."

So what's a girl to do? Knowing that everyone else struggles is kind of comforting, but it doesn't exactly solve the problem. And to cut the suspense, I don't have THE solution. I don't think there is one. Our situations are as colorful as we are, so the solutions are, too. I have some suggestions, though.

Skip it - If you're the type of person who gets caught up in the things you "have to do," take a leap of faith and just don't do one. I bet you'll discover you don't die. While you might have a minor panic attack when someone asks where your Christmas card is, you'll live. And you'll be a little less stressed. And the rest of us can wait a year to see if next year you decide to send one. We'll live, too.

Less is more - If you usually send 200 cards, try sending 100. If whittling down the list makes you break out in hives, give the list and a black pen to your husband. You'll be left with 89 names and a smiley face. (Sidenote: I still contend that this principle, while useful, does not apply to shoes. Just thought I'd throw that out there since we now know by the comments yesterday that my husband is up on the Facebooks.)

Downshift - That's how you slow down a car; I bet it works for slowing down a holiday, too. Instead of the fancy card that tells the world you are Super Mom whether you feel that way or not, send a card that says who you really are - a mom. All day. Every day. Let your family help make cards. Brynna draws a mean rainbow and would be happy to help. She only charges 3 Oreos an hour.

Downshift 2.0 - If, like me, that last suggestion sent you into another kind of frenzy and was met with terrifying visions of what glitter and glue do to hardwood floors, try a different kind of downshift. Maybe making cards would take more time and add more stress. Then it's not the solution for you. Maybe sending a traditional card (with or without a printed picture) makes more sense, and your family can help assemble and mail.

Keep Doing What You Do - Maybe you think I'm nuts and you don't give Christmas cards a second thought. Awesome! I'm calling it now - next year, you're my guest blogger at Christmas time! 

Save Paper. Go digital. - My friend Kelly ends every email with those 4 words. It's also the way she's sent Christmas cards for years. It works best for her. Maybe digital means you send the card electronically. Or maybe it means you forgo the cards and send emails to the few people you really want to connect with. Or maybe you post it on your blog. (Oh, wait. That's just me.)

I am the kind of person who stresses over the details. I do tend to make everything a competition, and bowing out of the race does not come naturally to me. That's why this year, I think it's necessary. I realize I write to the world everyday on the internet, but I'm not a techy person. Email seems so impersonal to me at times. But this year, I'm not using it to be less personal. I'm using it to be more so. I'm sending our card in a way that those who receive it can respond, and we can have a conversation. That's what stretches me. That's what works for me and will make me a little better. Your solution doesn't need to be my solution. It just needs to let you breathe...

I love the cards I have and will receive. I look through them regularly and love each face I see. Maybe you'll print mine out and add it to your pile. Or maybe you'll grant me some grace this year and know that I am thinking of you even if I didn't send it on pearl white metallic card stock. And then maybe you'll grant yourself some grace, too. 

Merry Christmas, friends!

photos courtesy of Hope Toliver Photography (blurred by my lack of computer skills. sorry!!)