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Driving home in the first "real" snowfall of the year this morning from taking my daughter to high school, I was thinking, "This would be so cool if it lasts until Thanksgiving," just two days away. The snowflakey air made me think of Christmas cards, how today would be a great day to light a fire, sit down with some mint cocoa and write away! "And," I thought, "since I am crocheting all these dog ornaments to sell, I could just tuck one into each Christmas card!"
This delightful holiday picture of cheerful cards filled with colorful schnauzers was shattered almost immediately by the thought of how much time would be involved - almost an hour apiece!
And then it struck me that's the test. To each person on my long Christmas Card list, mentally I would ask, "Are you worth an hour of my time right now?" Should you be?"
It was almost one of those profound moments where you hear an imaginary bell ring somewhere. Especially in light of the fact that I was hospitalized for a life-threatening illness just two months ago, and I have placed a higher value on my time these days.
Let's start prioritizing that list now. The first name belongs to a person I worked with three jobs ago, who has never returned a card, an email or a phone call, and with whom I have had zero personal contact in seven years. "Are you worth an hour of my time right now?" I ask. "Not really, I've kind of moved on," the imaginary person replies. "Should you be?" "Well, it would be nice if we said hi on the street or something, but we're both in such different places now, and I think we were just friends in the work situation. You can skip me if you want." Wow! That was easy!! No guilt!! Scratch right through that name.
The next name belongs to a dear neighbor from my childhood, with whom I've had no contact in more than ten years. She was sweet to me as a child and was my late mom's very best friend. "Are you worth an hour of my time right now?" I ask. This reply comes immediately from my heart - "YES." "In fact," I thought, "not only do you deserve a dog ornament, you deserve a handwritten note and a copy of a picture I found of you and my mom together."
The third name belongs to an internet friend who has gotten me through many difficult days over the past year... but I would have to find out their address... that's an easy answer. And so the prioritizing of the list goes on...
I suspect it may take me a bit longer to get through with the Christmas cards this year, and there may be fewer than normal, but each one will be what it should be - a true outpouring from the heart, not a dreaded ritual.
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