I love getting Christmas cards, especially the cards with photos.  It's fun to see how much everyone's kids have grown, and hear about their travels, jobs and accomplishments.  But these cards and letters do provoke a bit of anxiety for me.  Such as: 

*  Each year, we get our first Christmas card of the season from the same family.  Do they strive to be first?  Or perhaps their circle of friends send cards even earlier, putting them in the middle of the pack.

*   What does it mean when someone stops sending you cards after many years?  Did they stop sending cards to everyone --  or did we do something to drop off the 'a' list? 

*   Why do cards seem to arrive in particular patterns? For example, today all the cards we received were from what I would call "pretty families."  Not a plain Jane in the bunch.  Do all the good looking people get together and chose a certain day to mail out their cards? 

*   And finally, as much as I love the cards we send each year, could it be that they represent the butt of a longstanding joke for someone who receives them?  "Oh my gosh, the Teixeira's Christmas card came today.  Gather 'round kids, so we can have a good laugh.