the christmas letter that almost was

Sometime just before Thanksgiving I got this awesome idea that this year, I would send out a Christmas Newsletter.  As you will remember from before, my family sent out one of these letters every year for about 10 years.  (As a side note, my dad has copied and bound these letters, and my siblings and I are receiving them this year as part of our gifts).  Somehow there are still people who send these things out -- my aunt being one of them.  As mentioned before, these letters usually just gush on and on about how the previous year was so incredibly fabulous, about how the family took such amazing trips, bought a new car, a new house and a new million dollar diamond necklace.

My letter, however, would be a satirical twist on the traditional letter.  I would gush on and on about how I took trips to fabulous places (Salt Lake City and Clarksburg, TN), have an amazing job where I am totally appreciated (uhhh...), how I'm taking new classes and I'm top of my class, and how I have so much money I can't possibly find enough places and people to throw it at.  I also thought about heading out to a Target picture studio in some sort of awful turtleneck/sweater vest combo and have a picture taken to go with said letter.

Clearly this letter would only be sent to a few of my nearest and dearest friends who would appreciate such things.  But as I got to thinking about this actual letter I began to doubt my writing skills.  More specifically, my ability to really pull of the satire.  Because the more I thought about it, there is such a very fine, very grey line between being satirical and being bitter.  And bitter I am not.

While my job may be taxing at times, I really do love it.  And I am grateful to have a job, in the field I do, in the job market that is.  While I may still be single, I am appreciating that my time, money and things are my own.  I don't have to share them with anyone or anything I don't want to.  While I may not have kids, I have two amazingly wonderful nephews who I love more then breathing.  I love that they consider me a staple in their house and ask when I'm not there.  While I may not have a family of my own, I am so incredibly grateful for the family that I have.  I love that my siblings and I are the best of friends.  While it may not seem like I do much in a year, I am glad to have accomplished some of the things I have done.  I have great friends who appreciate me as much as I appreciate them.  I have realized this year that I have a lot to offer people, and I'm glad to have the time to do that.

So I'm not bitter -- but it would have been pretty darn fun to send that letter.  I guess there's always next year.

Here's wishing you and yours all the merry and happy you can stand -- and then some!