My favorite tradition of the holidays has begun. A trickling in. A sending and a receiving. I’ve always had an affinity for writing and opening postal exchanges. There is magic to mail – an excitement in the sending as well as the arrival, an anticipation in the opening, an eagerness in the reading. I know that’s what makes Nick Bantock so exciting. There is such a joy to see, tucked between bills and “to current resident” a holiday card in red or green, peeking. 
With address book open (A is for Adam, Alec and Amy), I will organize my holiday cards by personality. Religious born in Bethlehem quotes go to my praying friends. The adorable, sad eyed, beribboned puppy in the Santa hat will be sent to the animal lovers in the group. Joke cards for the always laughing. The special $3.98 one of a kind Hallmarks go to the I-Can’t-Afford-To-Give-You-A-Real-Gift special friends. Once the cards are sorted and labeled I stamp and sticker them. Stickers are important and always have been…at least since I was eight. Snowflakes and Santa hats, Christmas trees and harp holding angels. Stickers are important, but postage stamps are even more so. It’s improper to send a holiday card without the perfect holiday stamp. I always notice these things. There is an exception – sending to someone who doesn’t give a hoot and probably won’t notice the stamp anyway. Hard to imagine but true! My friend Ant is getting Babe Ruth (post Red Sox), but even then I put thought into the stamp selection. Ant is a h u g e Yankees fan.
None of the stamps I chose really match up with the recipient, nor are they by accident. My Jewish friends will get chubby Santas, my Catholic one’s…the menorah. Colorful Kwanzaa. Spreading diversity through the U.S. postal service. 
After stamps and stickers I will move onto addresses. This is the most tedious part of my process. Not everyone can keep the same address from year to year. Nine different couples have moved in the last 365 days. If I liked the addressing part better I would take my time with fancy calligraphy, glittering ink and curly-cues. I like curly-cues. 
All of this prep work starts the first week of December. I want it finished so that by the time I actually sit down to fill out the card I’m doing the exact opposite. I’m not filling them out as one would fill out a medical profile or an employment application. I don’t want to just go thru the motions, or just sign my name. If that were the case I would invest in a special made-to-order rubber stamp with my signature or pay for preprinted, generic holiday cards that read, “Happy Holidays from the Spencers.” I get a few of those and it’s always such a disappointment. No. Instead, I want to take my time. It’s Christmas after all. I’ll find a picture of you, prop you up and stare at your image until I can write to you. To You. It might be my only letter of the whole year, but I won’t skimp on the thought process. I’ll send my best, from my heart…as the song says, with love from me to you.
~*LunaSea*~ 