Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 December 2004 08:58:25
These have started to arrive thick and fast - you know the kind of thing, news about what the correspondent has been doing since the last letter last Christmas, how many more children, foreign holidays, home and garden makeovers, etc etc etc - and it's got me thinking again whether I should do one this year. I do them every so often (not every year as I'm not that organised), and I must admit that although lots of people think they're cheesy I rather like getting them. Yes they're mostly from people I haven't heard from since last Christmas, but to be fair (and realistic) we all have our own lives in different places all over the country, those lives are full and busy and it's simply not possible to keep up with everyone. So I'm really glad to hear from people once a year and know that I'm not forgotten, they still want me to know about their lives, and by sending their letters they are leaving the way open for me to let them know about what's going on with me if I so choose, and implying they are interested enough to want to hear my news too.
However - over the last month, whenever I've thought about the contents of my Christmas newsletter, all I've been able to come up with is the following:
"Started the year with a broken foot and failed relationship. Ended it with a knackered shoulder and failed relationship. Didn't have a holiday as I used most of my annual leave to write essays, do an exam and do my Masters fieldwork. Bah humbug."
Which, let's face it, isn't exactly going to spread much in the way of Christmas cheer.
However, I've decided to bite the bullet and write a letter, including the above paragraph (as I do think it's good to be realistic and not just glowing about my perfect life, and it is kind of amusing I guess) but dredging the good times from my memory as well. Last week I wrote a blog entry about "Things to be thankful for in December", and I'm a bit embarrassed to say that since then I haven't really thought of anything else. But I've decided that I need to cultivate a more thankful and positive outlook on life, so what better place to start than the Christmas newsletter.
Mind you, it might all be a bit academic if I don't get round to buying any Christmas cards and finding my lost address book.