The Christmas letter

For as many years as I can remember Mom & Dad had always sent out a "Christmas Letter" to family and close friends. Numerous years ago we started this tradition in our family. A great custom to try and uphold, though one that is hard to maintain. This type of endeavour takes dedication, stamina and a good editor, my wife. 
Every year the daunting task of condensing your life onto one page shows up around Thanksgiving. 
"Oh no, the Christmas letter is due."

Earlier this year my external hard drives (yeah two of them) both died and they were full of 30 years of family pictures! 
I started digging, and digging, praying and praying...
Low and behold in my picture file search (from another 2 hard drives that had been removed/stored when the last computer died) I came across a file titled; "Christmas Letter. "
The file was in a drive that had a backup from 8 years ago. When I opened the file there were quite a few years of letters saved and waiting for me to blow the dust off.  As I began reading into our past a nostalgic feeling started to warm my soul.
Happening to remember (amazing how the mind works) that I also had a hard copy file of previous letters stashed in an old file cabinet. Along with the left over sheets of unused Christmas letter stationary. Combining these two cherished discoveries 13 years of Christmas letters were now sorted out. 
A few years are missing but good to go for now. 
You never know what will turn up next time a piece of technology crashes! Maybe I'll find my New Year's resolutions from 20 years ago? 
No wait, don't want to see that list...
The Christmas letter has become a family tradition carried forward for what, 50 years? 
Goin' ask Mom about that one. 
Other family members partake in this practice also (thanks bro). 

Reading into the past our past, I became aware of various things.

1. My style had pretty much stayed the same (content order) not sure why, just the facts?
2. I had forgotten some of the key life events that are mentioned in the letters from various years.
3. We have been married for going on 35 years and have a wonderful life full of memories.
4. We, and our family have been blessed by God in so many ways.
5. By combining all the leftover Christmas stationary we don't have to buy any more for a few years...

Looking at the news every morning and witnessing what is taking place in our world, the simple fact that we live in America is truly remarkable. Why did God put us in this wonderful country instead of one of the troubled spots in our world?

What do I have to complain (so much) about? 
Not really anything, nothing at all. 
I have a loving wife, yeah she still loves me. We have 2 wonderful girls and 3 grand children. All of us have a roof over our heads and well, we live in America. Celebrating traditions freely and openly. 

No, our lives are not picture perfect. We have all had our difficult times, times that each of us must bear. Through faith and family we have been able to prod along in our given path.


From now on we will make a point of saving the Christmas letters we write/ receive. Placing the hard copy in the 3 ring binder we have started for, "The Christmas Letter". 
Our life, one year, one page at a time...

The Christmas Letter.

Thank you Mom (& dad)  for your perseverance. Thank you for teaching me how to be a man, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather and well I pray, a decent human being...

Write a letter sometime soon to someone you love just for kicks, & see what happens.

W