When to Stop Sending Photos as a Christman Card

[monarch64]

I don't send cards.

I'm terrible about anything snail mail. I am thinking of sending E-cards this year.

I love receiving cards. But I totally understand that when I don't send myself, I don't get them as the years pass. And that's okay too.

This.

I used to send cards to anyone and everyone, and received maybe 30% back. But I never sent out cards in hopes of receiving back. Just not me.

This year I ordered exactly 10 photo cards because I got an offer from Tiny Prints for 10 "free" cards. OK. I thought, I'll do that. I'm happy with that decision. I composed and ordered just those 10, paid shipping, and we are sending 9 and saving 1 for ourselves/memory box. These cards are going to close friends and family, and I am really happy that we really have exactly 9 households we count dear enough to infiltrate their mailboxes and spend the postage on those cards. I used to stress about making sure every single person in my life got a card. No more. I stopped doing too much and started focusing what little time I have on those I hold most dear and important.

 

[momhappy]

I've never made it a practice to send out oddles of cards. I only order about 20 each year and I usually end up having some left over. I really only started sending out Christmas cards about 5 years ago and now I have send them to the same small group of people each year.
One other thing that I thought about in terms of photo cards that include adult children - I am actually quite impressed that a family still comes together (even as adults) to have their pictures taken. For many families, adult children move away and there's little time to gather everyone for photos. I can only hope that I'm lucky enough to have adult children either A) actually would want to be in a family photo or B) have my adult children around enough to have family photos from time to time

 

[missy]

I've never made it a practice to send out oddles of cards. I only order about 20 each year and I usually end up having some left over. I really only started sending out Christmas cards about 5 years ago and now I have send them to the same small group of people each year.
One other thing that I thought about in terms of photo cards that include adult children - I am actually quite impressed that a family still comes together (even as adults) to have their pictures taken. For many families, adult children move away and there's little time to gather everyone for photos. I can only hope that I'm lucky enough to have adult children either A) actually would want to be in a family photo or B) have my adult children around enough to have family photos from time to time

That's a great point momhappy. I think there is something so wonderful and meaningful to have a good adult relationship with one's parents and other family members. So many people don't and it is lovely to see those that do.

 

[Jambalaya]

I read an article a few days ago telling people to stop sending "cheery" Christmas cards because you might not know the struggles that person is going through... The author of the article mentioned losing their son/daughter, and she was hurt other people sent cheery cards about their family when she had gone through such a tragedy in her life... what do you all think?!

I've never lost a child, so I can't begin to imagine, but I don't think I'd blame other's fortune for the tragedies in my life... thoughts?

Well, I don't think that the writer would blame others' fortune for the tragedies in her life, because that wouldn't make sense. Presumably it was an accident or a medical issue that caused the death of her child.

Generally....If someone lost a child in the preceding year, especially six months or less before Christmas, you'd have to be careful with your holiday greeting. For that year, anyway. I think after that, it's back to normal because you can't tailor everything all the time. But like Missy said, common sense. For a recent loss, say in the preceding six months, I'd certainly apply some sensitivity at Christmas. Treat others how you'd like to be treated, etc.

Momhappy wondered what the alternative was. I think a beautiful snow scene and a "thinking of you at Christmas" is nice, if you know someone's been going through a hard time.

However the fact remains that Christmastime can be a very sad time for many people, and I tend to take that into account in my dealings with people. For example, a somewhat-distant relative of mine has terminal cancer and isn't expected to see next Christmas (she's lucky to be here this year) and in my pack of cards that I was writing yesterday the message says it hopes that the holidays leave "happy memories for years to come." Well, years are the very thing she doesn't have.

I picked a card from a different pack.

 

[Rhea]

I like getting any non-junk, non-bill mail! If it's photo cards, which I've never seen done in the UK yet, then that's fine. If it's other greetings that fine as well.

We throw them all, even photos, away at the end of the holiday season.

We send cards to my mother's siblings but not to my father's siblings, and to my husband's father's family not my husband's mother's family. So one side of each side. I think it ends up totalling about 20 to 25 family groupings. We send plain cards. We don't have children but even if we did my British husband would be horrified and embarrassed by sending photo cards.