Better Late Than Never

I’ve heard this phrase so many times, now it applies it to my holiday cards.

Little Goals

I enjoy making a list of things to do each year that will enrich my year or my life better. It’s my version of New Year’s resolutions. An item that now makes the list year after year is to send a holiday card. This activity that used to be automatic, but now it needs a little boost for me to get it done.

Missing My Little Goal

I skipped the 2024 card because I couldn’t face putting that year’s overwhelming good along with the burdens into one photo and one small paragraph. That year we’d moved across the country and for the first time in thirteen moves, I didn’t send a change of address card to everyone in my address book. While some holiday cards made their way to us, others didn’t.

Related to the holiday card, I had to find a photographer in my new town. Not liking the suggestions my friend shared with me, I searched on Instagram and after multiple emails back and forth, I booked the photographer I wanted. Waiting until our family staycation when all of our kids would be home, we had the photo session on January 2^nd.

As soon as we got the pictures done, I lost my motivation and gave up on sending a holiday card, reluctant to show how off schedule I was by sending it out so late.

Don’t Give Up On Joy

I love getting holiday cards from other people because it makes me feel more connected to them. Their updates give me a tiny glimpse into their year and help keep us tethered despite the miles between us and the time since we’ve last been together. I read each word, pour over each picture. I’m grateful they went to the trouble to send it. Then I thought, “Why give up on something that brings me joy? Sure, it was mid-February, but no time like the present! Late is better than never!” My pep talk was effective. I shoved my self-judgement aside and ordered my 2025 holiday cards last week from Minted.com.

Happy Valentine’s Day-ish

Instead of ‘Happy New Year’, my holiday cards became red Happy Valentine’s Day cards. Further, since they wouldn’t be received until a few days after Valentine’s Day, I included the phrase ‘Happy Valentine’s Day-ish’ on my cards. Upping the shipping to the fastest option meant they arrived just a few days later on Saturday, Valentine’s Day. I slapped the beautiful new ‘Year of the Horse” stamps on them and drove to the post office to pop them into the mail 30 minutes before the last pick-up of the day.

It’s a Trend!

I’m not the only one focusing on Valentine’s Day as a good time to reach out to far-flung family and friends. I first heard of the idea of Valentine’s cards as a replacement for holiday cards from Gretchen Rubin. In a blog post from 2015, Gretchen Rubin wrote about sending out holiday cards for Valentine’s Day instead of in December, because December is so hectic.

As for being late with my cards, I was delighted to read last week’s newsletter from Asha Dornfest “Our holiday letters are so late they’re early”, showing me I wasn’t the only one to decide that late is a far better option than never. She writes of copying her unsent 2025 holiday newsletter onto pink paper and sending it out in February.

📚Bookmarked: Books you might enjoy 📚

WELCOME TO MURDER WEEK by Karen Dukess

Delightful armchair travel with a mix of romance and a fake murder mystery. “…an American woman travels to the English countryside when she discovers tickets her late mother had purchased for a murder mystery simulation in a small British town.”

THE SUMMER WE RAN by Audrey Ingram

Page turning, loved it. “Does your past define your destiny? Told through multiple perspectives, rich with emotion and immersive dual timelines, The Summer We Ran weaves together a story of lost love, devastating secrets, shocking sabotage, and the painstaking decision two people must make in order to fulfill the futures they each desire.”

HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times by Melinda Wenner Moyer

I just started reading it. “In Hello, Cruel World!, Moyer provides practical, comprehensive, science-backed tools to help our children handle the world they will inherit. Her strategies help children develop three core attributes—coping mechanisms, connection techniques, and cultivation practices—so that kids can learn to set boundaries, take responsibility for their actions, build healthy relationships in turbulent times, and much more.”

I’m curious: Have you ever sent Valentine’s Cards instead of holiday cards? Please let me know in the comments.