Thursday, December 15, 2005

Christmas Cards Are Sent By Women

Go on over to your Christmas card collection and take a good look. How many, without a doubt, were signed and sent by a man? Virtually none, I’ll bet.

There’s always an exception to every discovery, of course. But let’s think about it a minute.

I asked my husband, “Honey, did you ever send cards when you were single?”

“To a few business associates, that’s about it. I don’t do Christmas cards, Pookie. That’s your job.”

Hmmm. Sexist statement from a liberal man … unusual.

It got me thinking … why do we even address them to men in the first place? I mean instead of sending to Joe and Mary Jones and family … why not send just to Mary and kids? For cryin’ out loud, when’s Joe going to notice you sent him a card? You think he’s apt to stop by the string of cards Mary’s hung around the doorway and read them all? Maybe one or two that’s fallen on the floor and he grumbles about having to pick up … but that’s probably the extent of his Christmas card viewing.

I’m sure Hallmark employs male artists and poets creating these things, but most cards (unless there’s a big busted woman on the front) are geared to the female consumer.

Okay, okay … my gay friend, Tony … loves to card shop and use his gold ink pen to address his Christmas cards. God love him. I love him … he’s one of my best friends … but I’m not talking about gay men, I’m talking about heterosexual married men.

Why have they all left the drudgery of sending dozens of Christmas cards to women?

One of the mysteries of life, I guess.

So this year … we shared the experience. I sat in my hotel room in Florida, paging through my address book, and completed over 25 cards basically all the same way … Hope your holiday’s a happy one … Merry Christmas … Love, Pam and Michael Cable. Then I sealed them, addressed them, slapped on a return label and two days later when we returned home I shoved them at Michael and said, “Here, take these to the post office, put a stamp on all 50, and mail them.”

“Okay, I guess it’s the least I can do …”

Yep. I agree.

Blessings to you and yours.

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