Ah, the annual holiday family newsletter. It reminds me of that Goodwill commercial that airs this time of year. You know the one about the purple paisley shirt. The worker sitting in the back of the Goodwill donation truck describes the polarized reactions of two people viewing the same article of clothing:
“UGH! A purple paisley shirt.” Versus: “WOW, a purple paisley shirt!”
Those are the same responses I’ve seen from people who receive annual family newsletters at Christmas time.
Let’s face it; these yearly updates that often describe every single minute detail that Jack, Jenna, Henry, Bobby and Jasper the dog have experienced in the last 365 days, are not exactly embraced by all recipients.
Be that as it may, I happen to enjoy getting holiday newsletters. Perhaps, it’s because the majority of my childhood friends live 5,000 miles away in my hometown of Hilo, Hawaii and we only get to see each other a couple times a year. In the cases of these friends I am more than happy to read about Cody becoming an altar boy, Mia getting her first haircut, Kai graduating to a two-wheeler and Jonah learning how to tie his shoes. In fact, I much rather have my mailbox filled with Christmas letters describing the mundane minutiae of someone else’s daily life than wade through a bunch of bills.
So go ahead and judge me—I happen to love a good holiday newsletter.
Ironically, though, I have never written one myself… ever.
Perhaps it’s because while I love to read what other people have done in the last 12 months, I personally have no desire to bore anyone with the details of my own life. (That’s what these blog are for!) Which is not to say that my life is boring and that my child is not as brilliant, charming, and adorable as my friends. It’s just that… well, writing a newsletter requires work… and frankly, I write for a living, and between not wanting to bore others and simply not having the time to sum up my family’s life on a piece of Christmas tree bordered card stock, I don’t go the newsletter route.
Rather, I buy Christmas cards with pre-printed messages and happily slide in a picture of my darling daughter. I figure since a picture speaks a thousand words my daughter’s mega-watt smile says more about what I’ve been up to in the last 365 days than any glittery holiday newsletter could.
Do you send out holiday newsletters? What’s your take on the family newsletter issue?
Related Articles:
What Kind of Parents Take Their Kids Shopping on Black Friday?
Tales from the Holiday Kids’ Table
Countdown to Christmas: The Letter to Santa
My Daughter’s Very Merry Christmas Eve