Tip 204: Year End greeting cards bring good tidings

In Japan, there is a tradition to send postcards with photos of the family to all relatives and friends at the end of each year. The greeting card is personalized as the recipients could see faces of the sender if they have not seen the person for 1 whole year. It is also very convenient since the cost of postage is merely the cost of a postcard. The Japanese post office even offers a service of providing a few graphic images or postcard design frames on their do-it-yourself postcard computer for the sender to customize the cards before they upload a photo and specify the number of cards they want to purchase. The cards come with stamps readily printed, so there is only the need to write the address down and put it in the post box.

I did exactly the same recently. Though, it was less convenient when done outside Japan. One year ago, I have gathered a list of a few hundred addresses of relatives, church members, ex colleagues and classmates. This was actually not such a difficult task since I compiled a list when delivering wedding invitation cards. The hard part was finding a printer that could print a postcard with customized designs. There were none. The closest I found was a photoshop that printed photos with customized design, but the photos were not water resistant. Then, I found a photo with water resistant features, but the printer had limited design for the card. I decided then to spend 1-2 days customizing the design using a graphic software and finally, got 100 cards printed after negotiating the price for it.

The results: Splendid! A card is a proactive way to connect with people after not staying in touch for a while. It allows people to remember our names and the names of our family members (especially when it is a foreign Japanese name). It is a simple way to show appreciation to the people who have previously touched our lives, without spending too much to make the recipient guilty or indebted and thereby causing an awkward situation. My major high of the day was when an 85 year old church member called me up when she received the card. She said the card made her feel happy. I told her that I would see her this week at church and we could talk more. She shared that she would be at home instead, since she had a fall 2 weeks ago. If I am free, I would pay her a visit with Tomomi and Haruka and nothing beats the joy of having a toddler in the home. Even if I could not make the visit due to the many people I intend to meet this week in Malaysia, I know that my card has already touched one soul.

(If you did not get a card from me, just wait for next year. You are in my thoughts. Photos show Haruka at Singapore Zoo and ION Orchard shopping mall).