My Christmas Card List by George A. Gladden, Sr.
This poem is often included in Christmas letters to friends and I thought you would enjoy it. Best wishes to you and your family for a Very Merry Christmas!
My Christmas Card List
By George A. Gladden, Sr. (1935-2005)
I have a list of folks I know,
All written in a book,
And every year when Christmas comes,
I go and take a look.
That is when I realize
These names are all a part,
Not of the book they're written in,
But of my very heart.
For each name stands for someone
who has crossed my path sometime,
And in that meeting they've become
the rhythm in each rhyme.
While it may sound fantastic
for me to make this claim,
I feel that I'm composed
of each remembered name.
And while you may not be aware
of any special link,
Just meeting you has changed my life
much more than you may think.
For once I've met somebody,
the years cannot erase
The memory of a pleasant word
or of a friendly face.
So, never think my Christmas cards
are just a mere routine
Of names upon a Christmas list,
forgotten in between.
For when I send a Christmas card
that is addressed to you,
It's because you're on the list
of folks I'm endeared to.
For I am but a total
of the many folks I've met,
And you happen to be one of those
I prefer not to forget.
Whether I have known you
for many years or few,
In some way you have had a part
in shaping things I do.
And every year when Christmas comes
I realize anew.
The best life can offer
is meeting folks like you.
So, may the spirit of Christmas
that forevermore endures
Leave its rich blessings
in the hearts of you and yours.
Bird of Paradise, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania USA IMG 2194
Canon PowerShot G11 Camera
Photograph by Roy Kelley
Roy and Dolores Kelley Photographs
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