Christmas Cards

There are Christmas cards of course, but I don't mean the ones displayed on store walls that have price values on them, the ones that people receive and often don't cash in. Nor do I mean the one that is so well-exercised over the holiday season, the one whose reminders come in the mail later telling you how much you owe. No. I am speaking of the picture greeting cards that you used to get in the mail before stamps became too expensive. Card-sending is  becoming rarer these days. Few seem to take time to send out. Cards. Long ago they were treasures and when they arrived, there were shrieks of joy and calls for everyone to come and see who sent the card with the news inside. It was a practical way to spread news in those days. These cards were strung up in the most unlikely but proud places and often counted  to become bragging subjects during seasonal social events. When they were taken down after Christmas, they were  boxed and labelled tenderly and a last look  given before  putting them away for the grandchildren to play with.  I remember as a very small child with my sister, laying out on the floor, an array of Gramma's special  cards from years past and sorting them according to colour or decoration or theme. Later, when we were older and could read, we tried to understand the cursive writing inside.   Minimalist decor sees few people displaying their cards - not that they get many or even bother sending  them any more. I am no minimalist and mine are collected in a pile along with their envelopes. Messy? Yes and most of the cards I receive have letters inside. The only ones that make me sad are those with computer generated messages, addresses and signatures. I think, why do they bother to send them at all? They must have  time to write something personal inside, even to pen their names.  There are those who send a newsletter to "all" and I love them, too, in spite of their reputation as being bragging tools. I am happy to know the news in any form. One of my friends sends a sheet of photos, with first names of family. I have never met these smiling faces and am not likely to but I like these as well. I see happy faces that look very much like my friend who lives far off and  I think she is trying to share her joy with me. Sending cards is costly but I miss this disappearing tradition.