Was the 2023 Christmas Letter You Never Wrote Fair or Funny? Or Did it Lack Context?
The Christmas season was richer and more enjoyable when we wrote Christmas Letters.
Christmas and all its traditions have changed a bit in my lifetime. But I still love Christmas. Especially now that I’m in the grandchildren season of life. And only Heaven knows how much I enjoy the annual family Christmas party—the din from the noisy chatter of unbridled anticipation. The ripping and flying of paper wrap as it’s torn unceremoniously from the gift grandma took over twenty minutes to lovingly wrap. And how I enjoy watching either the glee or the disappointment of our little pumpkins when they first see what the wrapper had concealed. And if my seven-year-old is unable to contain his disappointment and bursts into tears when opening grandma’s gift- it was not a rocket but a pair of crocks to go with the socks, I have all I can do not to burst into laughter. Now we’re both crying! Is this the reason for the season?
I remember when Christmas day was preceded by the arrival of dozens of Christmas letters. Letters that wished me Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and as a bonus, a page or two that gave me a glimpse into the year past with an included picture or two. I would carefully read every Christmas letter and then place them on the mantel next to the others. Letters and pictures are hard to throw away, so they’d stay there till June.
This year, just one Christmas letter arrived. Perhaps Facebook has something to do with that. To the exhibitionists on social media, there is not much left to talk about at Christmas. I don’t think I need another photo.
Some past Christmas letters have been very funny. The retelling of the family vacation has been abridged to include the story of when the family dog drove the family station wagon over a cliff in Yellowstone. A picture of the dog and tow truck accompanied the letter.
Of course, some of the stories are only funny because you know the writer’s family and the various personalities and idiosyncrasies. To read that grandpa got stuck between the wall and the toilet with his undies around his ankles is only funny when you know that grandma is going to call 911 in such situations. Sure enough. She’s thinking the ‘jaws-of-life’ are necessary to break him loose when all it took was some Vaseline. A picture of grandpa, shaken but smiling, appropriately dressed, and surrounded by five burly firemen and two buff firewomen, was included with the Christmas letter. Interestingly, grandma was not included in the picture, and she left out some of the details.
A common element of families is the constant reevaluation of the word ‘fair.’ Parents are constantly reminded that we are not being ‘fair.’ So, the designated Christmas letter writer goes to great lengths to be ‘fair,’ and if a story of accomplishments accompanies every child, then it is to be told ‘fairly’ right down to the number of words used- which is nearly an impossible task.
But being ‘fair’ with your Christmas letter isn’t as important as applying the appropriate spin. If retelling the highlights of the year, some varnish can go a long way to bring a little shine to one’s prose, if not pride.
I remember this one Christmas letter attempting to be ‘fair’ when telling of young Suzy being held back a year because of some academic challenges and son Jack getting married because a child was on the way. Fortunately, I kept the letter, and this is what was written.
Suzy is such a blessing, and what an amazing year she had. Her seventh-grade teacher enjoyed her so much this year she has asked Suzy to do seventh grade again. Of course, she will miss her friends, but Suzy easily makes friends with her bubbly, outgoing personality.
Our seventeen-year-old son, Jack, had an equally amazing year. Unbeknownst to us, he evidently wanted his own family this year. Jack got married to our neighbor’s daughter, Ellie, in June. Their baby daughter, June Jack, arrived late and joined Jack and Ellie in July. We are so blessed!
You can tell things about people when reading their Christmas letters. Beyond the sense of humor of some, we get the sense of what’s important. One writer could write of nothing other than the loss of her precious pet poodle. The children were included but only in passing. One fellow spoke of his new pickup he got himself for Christmas way back in August. The big monster was used as a backdrop for a pic of the kids and the family dog. In another letter, Thelma told of her husband Sam’s yearly highlights, including the May sharpening of the lawnmower blade tradition.
Some letters will trigger the easily triggered. Husband Rod bagged a big Elk with antlers the size of goalposts last fall. A picture of the poor fallen creature with Rod kneeling on its bloodied neck sent distant cousin Alice into an anti-gun, anti-meat, anti-specieist social media rant meltdown.
Sometimes, you get a Christmas letter that you know started a family fight. Mother thought, in retrospect, the story of Suzy losing her job and her boyfriend in the same week was a worthy insertion. Maybe it was to mother’s friends, but Suzy was having nothing to do with that bit of retelling. She insisted that her mother send a ‘retraction’ amended Christmas letter to the same list. “They need to know the context!” she implored her mother. But it’s hard to unread what has been read, and the further explanation took the funny right out of history. She refused to talk to her mother until she sent a follow-up apology letter.
Dear Friends and Family. Merry Christmas again. I write to you to apologize for my prior Christmas letters. My dear Suzy believes that I have misrepresented her to you and that her losing her job and her boyfriend was too much to share. I only thought it worthy of inclusion because she had both replaced within the following week. Evidently, that was not cause for celebration, so I apologize to both her and you for not providing sufficient context. I’ll do better next year.
Yes, the mantel is bare but for a few folks that still send us Christmas pics. But back in my cranial recesses are the memories of the many Christmas letters I’ve read. A smile forms when thinking about what happened to the sons and daughters of friends from prior seasons. Perhaps they, too, are dodging the shredded gift wrappings rolled into paper balls currently being thrown at grandpa.
To you who have read my musings in 2023, thank you! This is my Christmas Letter.
This is Bethlehem. My family and I had the great pleasure of visiting Bethlehem last year. It was here where we found the reason for the season.
Merry Christmas!
