A little bit of Christmas spirit

Yep, it's that time of year again. The calendar has flicked over from November to December and Christmas Day is 19 sleeps away (according to the cute little app on my iPhone).

I'm a big fan of Christmas. I admit to groaning when I see the Christmas stock in October, but once December has arrived I get into the spirit of family, cards, decorations and the fun of the season.

Right now I'm writing my Christmas cards and thinking of those dear to me - my family and friends. Some may be wondering why I send Christmas cards in these modern times of emails, facebook and twitter. But to me, receiving a Christmas card in the mail is a wonderful feeling. I love receiving Christmas mail. Beats the usual mail box contents of bills and flyers. Someone special has gone to the effort to purchase a card, write on it, pop it in an envelope, lick the envelope, pop a stamp on it and place it in a post box. There's a whole lot of love and commitment in those steps.

I'm more than halfway through writing my Christmas cards and so I hope my family and friends get as much joy out of receiving my cards as I do in sending them.

Am I alone in continuing the tradition of sending Christmas cards in the mail? Let me know.

A simple gesture

Have thank you cards and notes become a thing of the past?

And I mean cards and letters written on paper using ink in an envelope with a street address and a stamp on the front. No emails!

While the idea of a thank you card or letter might bring to mind a bygone era, I think it is a ritual we need to hold on to. I believe it is important to tell the people we care about when we appreciate their kind thoughts and actions.

I have a handful of thank you cards sitting on my coffee table waiting for me to compose and mail to my loved ones. Looking at them made me wonder am I alone in sending thank you cards to friends and family members that I wish to express my gratitude to?

My sister often asks me how I manage to find the time to pen a thank you letter, affix a stamp and drop it in the post box. I’m sure she is not alone in wondering this.

But I firmly believe that when someone takes the time or effort to make your life a little nicer or show you a little kindness, surely it is a simple way to express thanks and remind us of a simpler time. How lovely is it to receive a hand written envelope in the mail, something so very rare these days in amongst the bills and catalogues?

Here’s a suggestion - think of a good deed someone has done you recently and drop them a letter simply to say thank you.