Saturday 5 December 2015

Approaching Christmas!

There can be few more depressing activities than writing all the cards when you get to my age.

For the last thirty years or so I have kept my contacts together in one very dog eared book...I start at the beginning and work my way through page by page.

It is astonishing how many have died! Much loved friends live on only in my old book.... It is now almost a ritual event to mentally salute those who have been involved in important events during my life...and who have now gone aloft!

I have tackled this job every day this week and have yet to get to the end. For the first time I have started a list of those I have written a card for, after two people last year told me they had had two!

It all adds to the impression that age is beginning to be a factor in my life! I don't actually feel old, in fact the much used statement is definately true for me. In my head I am still about seventeen. But the sad truth shows now as I look in the mirror! I have not changed into my mother who kept her red hair to the end but another old lady I can't identify!

Weather permitting I shall go out to post the first set of cards this morning. Then I can tackle the local ones... I put bundles at the back of each church...we all do it...it's one way of dodging the postage....in days gone by I also took a bundle to the pub! Now I am not close enough to any pub to be able to walk to it I find it easier to just put a stamp on them! Otherwise my driving might be even more erratic than normal!

The approach of Christmas this year does not traumatise me as it did last year. The memories of David's last Christmas are old ghosts now and I can live with them . I can now try to find any of his old friends who still send him cards to give them the bad news that he can no longer reply!

I will not be here for most of it but I shall this year hang a bright garland on my front door. I might even put up a very small tree...it will just be a nodding salute to the great Christian festival...but more than I was able to do last year!

3 comments:

UKViewer said...

Jen is the Christmas Card queen in this family. She has a policy of seeing who responded last year, before writing a card. We had at one stage, over 150 cards to send, but sadly, like you as people have died or others moved away without telling us, the list declines, year on year.

We too do the local rounds on foot as sending them by post is really expensive these days. Even second class is three quarters of a pound. I can't quite remember the Penny Post, but remember 6d stamps 2.5 pence - so not that long ago (60 years or so).

But it's a reminder of our mortality as well. The wife of a very good friend, died suddenly just over a year ago. Ann was his life and since her death, he has become very quiet and not the very sociable individual we've known for over 30 years. Her death was totally unexpected, in hospital for a minor operation and died on the table. Only a month before she'd visited Jen in hospital when she was admitted with pneumonia. She has a pastoral heart for people and was a faithful anglican -and her funeral was attended by over 200 (after much delay before the body was released) some of whom came from Europe and one couple from Australia.

Ray Barnes said...

Like you Jean I have an address book which I use for most of the cards I post and like you, have almost more names crossed out now than still there.
What I try t do when one half of a couple takes their leave is to put the date of death beside the remaining partner so i can add a comment where appropriate.
But I now find that there are more people in church, the close, and other locals than in the book.
I send or give by hand around 100 or more each year, and as Ernie says, the cost is becoming prohibitive. I can feel The Grinch getting nearer.

Revjeanrolt said...

I had a nice surprise today when I looked in the stamp drawer....a whole sheet of old second class stamps fell out! I can post away without too much pain this year !