[thanks to several people for the suggestion behind this post]
I’ve never really "got" the sending of Christmas cards, or, really, got "into" it. It feels like a waste of overpriced paper to line the pockets of big printing companies just to save you the bother of actually picking up the phone and talking to the people you care about over the holiday season. So I won’t be sending any. But read on.
If you would have liked a Christmas card from me (and I know you!), leave your name and e-mail address using the comments form for this post. In exchange, I’ll donate £1 to Samaritans of Aberystwyth and Mid-Wales (my local Samaritans branch) in your name. Plus a £25 ‘kitty’ in the names of you all.
Samaritans volunteers will be working round the clock on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day – just like every other day in the year – to provide emotional support to those who are suffering from feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide. Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, and this vital service – provided by telephone, post, and e-mail, as well as by face-to-face contacts – can, for some, make all the difference.
Technical note: You’ll probably end up classified as blogspam if you leave an empty comment, so say something, even if it’s just "Merry Christmas!"