Two months later, I’m finished my goal. I wrote about 60-70 Christmas cards, each with a personal note from me.

I have enjoyed sending and receiving cards since I was kid. Although I had received few, I had wanted to brighten someone’s day by sending out as many cards as possible. That trend still holds true today after many years of moving around the country and making new friends.

I achieved the task last year by having marathon card-writing sessions. That wasn’t a great idea because my hand would cramp and the handwriting would degrade. Why bother writing cards if the handwriting is sloppy? Also, those marathon sessions should be reserved for studying for finals and writing papers.

This year, I adopted a plan from Father John Wykes, an Oblate priest who is stationed in Alton, Ill. He would start writing cards in October and he would adjust them as he neared mailing them to account for any recent news. I found that I could take to take the time to write better notes. The handwriting stayed consistent.

Plus, I was blessed to have a stack of free, good cards from various sources: my favorite charities and my sister.  I was spared from shelling out money for cards.

Now, I can relax and wait for the cards coming in the mail.