Be careful what you ask for…

One of the things I’ve always associated with Christmas was lines of Christmas cards on the mantelpiece and just about any flat surface in the living room. This association goes right back to when I was a child.

Then about 10-12 years ago I totted up the cost of buying lots of cards – and especially the postage cost in sending these.

I was surprised at just how much it came to.  So I made a decision that I would in future donate that money to a charity.  The selected charity varies every so often but it is frequently the excellent and efficient  WaterAid which provides clean water and sanitation  (you can read about what they do on their site)

So I sent email greetings instead and let people know what I was doing.  But the (sort of) unforeseen result of this is that, of course, it encourages others to do the same – or, at least, not to send us any cards!

The result?  Today is 22^nd December and there are just 3 lonely cards sitting on that mantelpiece  🙂

Now, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I think the charities will put the money to much better use than the shareholders of the privately owned Royal Mail.

But, somehow or other, the mantelpiece does look a bit bare.  I did briefly think about the idea of buying a 12-pack of charity cards and just putting them there as if I’d received them.  But that wouldn’t be the same – and they’d all have looked much the same, anyway!

So I think I’ll get hold of a sprig or two of holly and a few pine cones for those bare surfaces….