Forty years ago, sending and receiving Christmas cards felt like a rite of passage, a quiet signal that one had stepped into adulthood and set up house. Some even embraced the annual letter, chronicling the family triumphs and tribulations for distant friends and relatives. We never warmed to the round-robin missive that trumpeted life’s successes, though it did at least offer a way to share the sadder news as well.
Now the daily business of keeping in touch has migrated to Facebook and Instagram. These platforms cheerfully broadcast our doings to all and sundry, sometimes even obliging us with a “Year in Review” stitched together from our posts. I have not had such a thing thrust upon me this year, which leaves the old Christmas card and letter looking rather lost in the mêlée of digital chatter.
With second-class stamps now an indulgence at 87p, we have reluctantly surrendered the venerable custom of posting our cards. In its place sits the modern compromise: a round-robin email. It seems we have crossed a small but symbolic threshold.
For those who have not received our inaugural seasonal epic, here is the briefest of summaries. We have spent the year roaming about in the campervan with all the self-control of children let loose in a sweet shop. That is the long and the short of it. Anyone seeking fuller detail must delve into previous blog posts.
So, from a decidedly soggy Oakdale, we send our warmest wishes for a gentle, bright, and restorative winter solstice holiday.
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