Short Term Memory

I recently filled out a passport application for Nicholas. Not a real one, no. One for his Kindergarten class. They are in the middle of a special "travel" project. On certain days, the kindergartners visit a different classroom, and each kindergarten teacher does a little segment on a different country, and the kids get a stamp in their passports.

"We visited a different class today, Mom!" Nick said when I picked him up from school.

"Where did you go?" I asked.

"We pretended to go on a plane, and we flew flew flew across the ocean!"

"What country did you fly to?"

"Um... what?"

"What country did Mrs. M. talk about?"

"I really don't remember."

So he has no idea which countries he's been hearing about. But I know that some things must be sticking, and he's getting used to seeing places on a map.

I feel like this is important because so much of my family is far away. And this brings me to today's Holiday Tradition: Holiday Cards.

There is no link to follow, here. Truth be told, I think Holiday Cards are mostly out of style. It has to do, I think, with the rise of modern technology. People send out emails, e-cards. They post a "Merry Christmas" status on Facebook or texts their friends and call it square. This is the modern way of doing things.

But I'm still old fashioned. I like to send out cards. And every year I have a few moments where I ask myself why I do this. Gathering addresses, running out of stamps... it really does become a pain. So why?

Well, I really do think there is something special about getting a card in the mail. Maybe other people get real mail in their boxes, but what I get is usually junk mail or bills. Unless it's from a dentist, I always get a good feeling from a holiday card. And this is why I send them. Because I figure other people might feel the same way. Especially people that I don't get to see often.