So, this is a picture of the Official White House Christmas card for 2007. Some people are a little affronted because it's definitely a religious message. (It's a quotation from Nehemiah in the Old Testament.) I like it; unfortunately, we didn't get one. :( In fact, we have noticed a definite decline in the number of Christmas cards we've gotten the past few years. In fact, so far this year, we have received a total of five, not including the one the newspaper carrier stuck inside our paper, hoping for a tip. Janet got one from Sarah, but alas, we didn't.

Perhaps the fact that, due to the Internet, we are in better and more frequent communication with our friends makes them think we don't need a card. Do people send email cards now days? I have sent them for other things, like birthdays and lesser holidays, but not for Christmas. I have to admit that, although we did send a lot of cards this year, I made a conscious decision not to send cards to people from whom we've not heard in years. Maybe $.41 postage is the culprit. Or maybe it's the general pace of life now days, although that's a pretty sad reason.

I guess this is my Christmas card thinking: People who mean a lot to us, who make a difference to us even when we don't see them often, who brighten our days even when they're not physically around, deserve at least a personal thought at Christmas. It's not much, but it's a represents a real desire to let them know that we're thinking of them and are thankful for them.

What I'm really waiting for are the cute little handmade cards signed with our grandkids first attempts at writing. Now, those will be Christmas cards to treasure!