Christmas Letter 2008:
Dear Family & Friends, 12/15/2008
Christmas cards mean a lot to our family. Each night in December when Ed or I check the mail, the kids huddle around to see which family’s yearly update and picture was delivered. Some of you have even developed somewhat of a reputation for being funny, clever and creative- which just adds more fun and anticipation to the activity.
Christmas cards mean a lot to our family. Each night in December when Ed or I check the mail, the kids huddle around to see which family’s yearly update and picture was delivered. Some of you have even developed somewhat of a reputation for being funny, clever and creative- which just adds more fun and anticipation to the activity.
Consequently, our own anxious behavior has caused me to be a bit obsessive when preparing our family’s Christmas Card. Every year the pressure of choosing just the right combination of pictures has me lying awake at night planning and rearranging. This year, the self-inflicted pressure has been even worse since I re-connected with my college newspaper friends.
So after hours on the computer, I created the Perfect Christmas Card. It was beautiful. The picture of Ed and I made us look like we were Parents of the Year. The boys looked like little GQ angels right out of a catalog. The girls’ picture was absolutely stunning. Everyone was so perfectly posed that we looked like the Perfect Family. I felt happy and proud that I had accomplished what I set out to do.
However, as I carried the file around on my flash drive, it seemed to haunt me. I never could make the time to get it printed.
And then I realized that the card that I had painstakingly created to be absolutely perfect was not a true reflection of our family at all. And that I had gotten lost. I realized that I spent so much time worrying about how the card looked that I didn’t remember to worry about the message it carried. Families aren’t perfect- least of all ours. Despite our many shortcomings and weaknesses, we love each other. We serve one another. We laugh and have fun together. We pray together and we pray for one another.
During this time of year when we celebrate our Savior’s birth- that’s what I want you to know about our family. I want LOVE to jump right off this Christmas Card and give you a big hug. If you’re struggling, I want our SMILES to buoy you up and encourage you to keep on going. If you are sick or otherwise afflicted, I want you to know that we will be here to HELP you.
So I headed back to the drawing board to create a new Christmas Card. This time I didn’t worry about the pictures being perfectly posed or perfectly groomed (obviously I didn’t worry too much about appearances since I’m not even wearing make-up in one of them). I used pictures from our October California vacation with the Grovers, instead of our posed family pictures (which I love but are better suited for our living room wall). I created the card with love and care to represent how we feel about each other. And most of all, to represent how we feel about you- our family and friends who have all shaped who we once were, who we are and who we will become.
We hope that this letter and “imperfect” card finds you enjoying this Christmas season. We know that our Savior lives and loves us. We hope that during these uncertain times that you too will feel comforted and uplifted by this knowledge.
Love,
Love,
The Huhtalas
First Draft, the "Perfect Card":
2 comments:
Amy, I LOVED the Christmas card and your letter to go along with it.
I loved the card and letter, too! Thanks!
Post a Comment