We’re well into the Christmas card season. Some cards are local – to/from friends who we see regularly. These cards acknowledge that friendship and wish Christmas joy, good health, peace…
There are also cards given to and received from friends and family who live further afield. We may not have seen much of them through the year – if at all. Many we have known for many years. We still value their love and friendship and want to keep in touch with them.
Often these cards are accompanied by family newsletters…. We’ve already appreciated having Christmas newsletters from Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Kent, Staffordshire, Devon, France, Canada…
Our ‘system’ is that Rachel writes the cards and I write the annual family newsletter that goes with it. This well-established procedure has been going for many years. Some things don’t change.
I looked out the folder with previous letters and entertained myself reading our previous news. The first that I wrote was in 1982 – handwritten, with pictures drawn by our children, copied on the school photocopier. I wrote about the children:
‘Joanne, who is now 8, is still very sociable. She continues to enjoy school…piano and recorder lessons, Girls Brigade and dancing classes…’
‘…Peter’s confidence… continues to grow. His favourite occupation is kicking a ball and he watches most sports with enthusiasm… He is 6.
‘…Andrew (4) seems to spend his life asking questions in a most articulate fashion – and of course he expects all of his questions to have answers.’
Those who know our children know that some things don’t change!
So yesterday I wrote our 2021 Christmas letter, reflecting on our past year – Jo, Pete, Andrew… grandchildren… ordinary family stuff.
Musing… reading St Paul’s letters…they often include:
- Personal greetings expressing a warm, loving relationship
- Gratitude for the people he was writing to.
- His wishes, his prayers, for their peace, love, grace, faith, joy…
Musing… letters written in 2021, 1982, AD 60… some things don’t change.
malcolmsmusings.org 