i get lost in my mind*Today I wrote my Christmas letter. I write it early because it takes me a long time to buy cards and get them addressed. I also like to write a little personal message on each one...
I always get a little depressed after writing it. Maybe because I look back and the things I do in a year seem to have gone by too quickly. Maybe because the "important" things fit neatly in 1 1/2 pages. Maybe because I have to skip over a lot. Maybe because I don't mention the things that are truly important to me. Maybe because it reflects an edited me. A me with all the ugly bits taken out.
I make it a habit never to write about the future in my letters. Maybe living in Japan has made me superstitious, but it kind of feels like it would jinx it. People make plans, but how often do they follow them? And if something you wrote about didn't happen - wouldn't it feel strange to have to say so in the next year's letter?
Anyway. I will send out my Christmas letter in December. I'm sure it will be edited a time or two until then. I hope it is well-received and actually gets read. I read every holiday letter and card that I get. For me it is a comforting ritual to read about how my far away friends and family are. I don't care if the letter is full of bragging (which hardly any are) or a bit of melancholy - I just like the thought that someone took the time to reflect on the past year and put it down on paper and then took the time and expense to send it to the people they think or know will care.
*The Head and the Heart - Lost in My Mind
Labels: blather, life, random