Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Is it just me?

Just wondering how many of you keep track of whether the people to whom you send holiday cards send you one back. And if you do keep track, how long would you continue to send a card to someone who did not reciprocate?

To clarify, I am not talking here about people who are an active part of my day-to-day life and that I talk to regularly. I'm talking more about friends and extended family members with whom I was once close but now only correspond with occasionally at Christmas or on birthdays and haven't actually spoken with in years.

A very anal-retentive friend of mine told me a few years ago that she tracked this and dropped people from the list if they didn't send a card for two consecutive years. Because my own list had grown by leaps and bounds over the years because of my many moves and the friends I'd met along the way, I decided to track this, too. . . . but I always feel a little funny about "cutting" people from the list. I have gotten rid of a few people over the past few years, and there have been no ill effects from it that I've noticed.

Also, on a somewhat related note. . . . there are a few people on my list who normally send me a card who did not this year. (Again, people with whom I am not in regular, consistent contact.) I know one of them has a wife who is nine months pregnant, so I am cutting them some slack, but I can't figure out why the other two couples skipped me this year. One of them I have known the wife for twenty years, and we have exchanged cards nearly that entire time (and are friends on Fac.eb.ook).

Hmmmm . . . .

My husband says I am giving this way too much thought and that I shouldn't care whether people send me/us cards. He is probably right. . . .

5 comments:

JessiferSeabs said...

DO you know that they cut you, or is it possible that they just didn't send cards at all? It sounds silly, but I don't send holiday cards, and one of the reasons is because the postage is so damn expensive!

The REAL reason, though, is because I am not married / no kids, and I don't even have a dog anymore, and I don't want to send out a picture-card of just me, and I don't really see the point of the card without the email.

LOVE recieving them -- hate sending 'em.

:-)

Land family said...

I do keep track, but it's to verify addresses. The relatives that don't send back are mostly old, and I think that they still enjoy getting pictures and stuff, so I cut them some slack.

I don't know that I could drop anyone!

MB said...

I felt really bad about not sending cards out this year. Even though I got laid off at the end of November and should have had the time to send cards I just didn't do it. I figure I could use the excuse that I couldn't afford the postage this year. ;)

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that someone excluded you from their Christmas card list, just keep sending them to the people you want to and don't worry whether you get one from them in return. It's all about the giving, right?

Flying Monkeys said...

My cards are still sitting on my counter. : )

TUWABVB said...

I've never sent holiday cards either - I think it's more likley that people didn't send them more than at all it is they didn't send them to you. I think the art of writing is dying slowly - perhaps they have a website they use to update family, etc. and they no longer need to send cards (I've had this happen). Either way, when I do start sending them, I'll send them to people I don't receive if it acts as an effort to stay in touch with people. (Assuming that there's not a LOT so I'm not wasting huge amounts of money on them).