Want to Receive My Gloriously Selfish Christmas Card?

‘Tis the Season! Am I officially allowed to say this now? I’m hoping so, as today marks the first advent which seems to be the official kickoff of the Christmas season over here in Germany. It’s actually very sweet; Advent wreaths (with candles) are a big deal here and many people make their own with greenery and supplies from the local flower shops. Or they buy the fake ones at TK Maxx… (and yes my American friends, we have T K Maxx here, not TJ Maxx. I wonder which came first?). 

Anywho, I won’t lie, I’m so, so ready for the Christmas season that I started blasting the Pentatonix Christmas albums about 10 days ago and lighting pine-scented candles (BYE pumpkin spice! Don’t let the door hit ya!). Because I’m ready to be joyful, filled with merriment, and have something to look forward to! And it’s the last piece of that sentence that I discussed last night with my good friend Janka over dinner: something to look forward to. Because there are no trips and travels to plan now. No Christmas parties to host (something I was really looking forward to). And for some people, no work on the horizon for the foreseeable future. 

So why not dive, all-in, to the season of giving? Ever since I can remember, I’ve looked forward to everything about this season; The gingerbread houses, the Christmas shopping, the wrapping presents with my sisters, fighting over the best gift bags. But the icing on this sweet cake of merriment was always something a bit unexpected:

The Christmas Cards.

As a kid, our kitchen island would be filled with cards from family friends from over the years, speckled with pictures and updates on the people who added color to our family story. Nothing was better than leafing through generic catalogues in the mailbox and then finding a hand-addressed envelope, ripping it open, and seeing a surprisingly grown-up photo of a friend I knew from the few young years I lived in Minnesota. (Fun fact: my family had a four-year stint in Minnesota, outside of the twin cities, before moving to Maryland.)

While pretending to help my mom with dinner, most evenings in December I’d get distracted and pour over the information filling these festive cards littering our kitchen. Families were moving! Kids were going to college! Businesses were blossoming! Whatever the piece of news, these cards were always filled with joy. Holiday cards provide the perfect vehicle for taking stock of what you’ve accomplished. But as Janka and I discussed Christmas cards last night, over my homemade sweet potato soup, I pointed out that the Christmas cards I always received were filled with babies, engagement photos, and, in essence, more than one person. 

Family additions. Diamond rings. And new mortgages excitedly made their debut, surrounded by illustrated greenery.

And all of these things are really wonderful! With each opening of an envelope, I felt like I was able to have a mini-celebration of the good news inside. But in stark contrast to what I’ve come to know as the “typical” Christmas card, I’m looking back at a 2020 filled with the complete opposite. 

Not my child.

But I still love him.

I moved to a new country with not much money. Broke off the relationship I thought would eventually lead me to one of those cute, engagement-photo cards (Ok, then we came back stronger than ever, but still...), and enthusiastically made an appointment with the gynecologist to replace my IUD (definitely a typical holiday card highlight!) because my life does not have room for little ones anytime soon and I intend to keep it that way. 

I mean, looking at that paragraph, it’s no wonder that many young, unmarried folks aren’t spamming friends and family with their life news, in the typical holiday fashion. But if we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that the words “normal” and “typical” are being redefined. 

So, yes, while the “normal” checklist of “typical” life updates did not see many ticks this year, I can’t help but think I have so much news to share. I started a new job, ran my first 15K, moved into my dream apartment, and most of all, have become so comfortable on this journey to really be at home and confident in my own skin. And I think that’s worth celebrating, sharing, and sending ‘round the world. In fact, I wish more people would do it too, as I can’t help but feel like sending a Christmas card with a photo of yours truly splashed on the cover feels selfish. Just me… celebrating… me. 

It sounds weird. And I wish it didn’t. So I’d like to change this. And I’d like to give everyone who’d like it something to look forward to. Do you enjoy ripping open hand-addressed envelopes and gaining little insights and life updates, hugged by illustrated greenery?

Well then, I’d like to send you a Christmas card!

The personal Christmas card of Emily Claire Hughes, a gal with an abundance of gratitude for 2020 and a hell of a lot to celebrate looking forward to 2021.

So please, wherever you are, fill out this form below and allow me to gift your mailbox with some photos you’ve never seen before, fresh life updates, and a whole lot of optimism. Are we childhood friends who’ve lost touch? I’d love nothing more than to see your address below. Have we never met, but you’ve read my post about moving to Portugal? Let me send you a lil’ something to say thanks! And if you’re a person who just really freaking likes when there’s something real in your mailbox, let your fingers fly for the next 20 seconds and fill out the form below!

Want me in your old-fashioned mailbox?

Who cares about the things that didn’t work out in 2020? We’ve all got a lengthy list. What matters, as we beg 2021 to come ASAP, is what we accomplished in 2020. And I can’t wait to share this with you. So thank you for being here and celebrating this funky life with me. 

I can’t wait to pop into your mailbox and celebrate me.

Just me.

Feeling really f*ckin’ festive. 

(P.S. your mailing address will not be shared with anyone else, don’t worry.)