A Non-Boring Christmas Tradition

 Yesterday my ten-year-old grandson and I each signed 125 Christmas letters. He practiced his penmanship as he chuckled about the contents of the greeting that utilizes his age-adjusted perspective in a newsy highlight of the family’s year. It’s a tradition we birthed the year he was birthed.

“What if I write the family Christmas letter from the perspective of the newest member?” I mused the year our first grandchild arrived. It seemed a cute idea. One that I liked more the longer I noodled on it. But could I pull it off? The yearly communique had presented more of a challenge some years than others. A particularly challenging parenting year almost made me skip the tradition. But I focused on the songs of the season that trying year and produced an acceptable holiday greeting. So, how difficult could it be to use the  occasion of a wee bundle of joy as inspiration?

That first grandbaby-inspired letter actually came together quite well. It was fun to write—who knew I could slip into newborn mode so easily? And folks loved it. Obviously, grandma was shifting into this new chapter in fine fashion.

By our little guy’s third Christmas, I thought it time to resume my version of the yearly update. But when I tried to use my own voice, the results were less than stellar. In fact, my account could only be described as boring. Bland, uninteresting, yawn-worthy. It was awful. It seemed a toddler’s version of our family happenings proved to be much more entertaining than this gram’s tale. So, you guessed it. I scraped my pitiful attempt at a newsy Christmas greeting and donned a toddler mindset once again. The result? A thoroughly delightful letter if I do say so myself.

I haven’t looked back since. And folks continue to love it. I am thinking, though, that in a year or two, I may pass the baton to the young lad, so he can try his hand at composing the traditional letter. He’s quite creative (as you can see above), and I’ve not a worry that his rendition will be anything but boring.

We’ve all tossed a book aside because it was bor-ing. It didn’t hold our attention. Was bland, uninteresting, not worth of our time. What makes a book boring? What keeps it from being boring? What elements grab your attention? What makes a story worth the investment of your time? I'd love to see lots of answers to these writing-craft questions, so please, drop your thoughts in a comment.

And in the spirit of my grandson's  Christmas greeting, may yours be a joy-filled Christmas season with family and friends, as we remember & celebrate the birth of JESUS.