Now, before I get started, I need to apologize in advance to my friends. I mean you no disrespect. Try to see the humour!
Among a certain crowd of my friends, a new “tradition” has taken hold. It’s the annual Christmas letter. Tucked into the Christmas card is a photocopied letter, usually on cheerful stationery covered with snowflakes or snowmen or holly or Christmas lights. Since it’s from the whole family, the letter is usually narrated in the third person, which makes it sound weird. I mean, who’s narrating this thing? And since this is sent to everyone from family to close friends to acquaintances, there isn’t much detail. There are usually three themes: property, employment, and offspring. So here’s one from Brooke and me:
Dear Friends,
Peace and joy to you at this blessed time of year. We’ve had a very exciting 2003, with lots of crazy stuff happening all the time. However, we can only talk about some of it. Just like you, we had good times and bad times, and a lot of kind of boring times, too. We got a little older, hopefully a little wiser, and a little further down the road trying to figure out life, the universe, and everything.
Brooke:
- wanted us to buy a house but also wanted to travel, so we decided not to buy a house. Not that we could have, anyway…
- continues her job at a fabulous FASHION magazine (which shall remain nameless), though still not a convinced fashionista.
- still dislikes OPK™(other people’s kids) and therefore remains ambivalent about having any of her own.
James, meanwhile:
- remains blissfully ignorant about mortgages and property taxes and how to fix stuff. For a while, there, it was close, though…
- wanted to quit his job in February, but lost it in March. In July, he found a much better one, though he makes about 58% of the money he did before.
- still has that gleam in his eye, though it’s likely to remain there.
Oh yeah, did we mention that the two of us:
- still don’t own a car, and have no plans to buy one.
- went to Poland for two weeks in July with our church to teach ESL.
- argue sometimes but are still very much in love.
Well, that was our year. We didn’t buy a dog, either. Merry Christmas!
Love, James and Brooke
P.S. That stuff you might have heard about us sacrificing a goat was totally untrue. We’re not even allowed to barbecue in our apartment building.
have yourself a merry christmas 😉
Gosh, that’s the best form letter I’ve ever seen! I hope you had Brooke have a great Christmas, James.
as they say down here, “merry texas christmas, y’all.”
Wonderful letter! Best wishes to you and Brooke for the New Year!
Everybody’s got a mailing list now. Welcome to the twenty-first century. Happy digital new year.