Papa Thoreau, Can you Hear Me?

Our life is frittered away by detail… Simplify, simplify, simplify! … Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose. ~Thoreau

I’m almost positive our friend Henry did not have children.  Well, at least none that he knew of, right?  And so I begin the quest of simplicity that Thoreau spoke of so frequently.  I think he will be my companion for this adventure.  I’m positive that when I am done simplifying, I will also be able to write volumes on life using my new found wisdom.  Big. Deep. Breathe.  Where to begin?

9.  Buying birthday cards, and not mailing them.  (errr, sorry about that.)

I’ve tried to be sensible and use one of those great card organizers/date books.  I don’t know where it is.  I have my grandmother’s birthday/death book, but I can’t find my own.  Shall we call upon our friend Henry for simplicity?  How about this?  I think it would make sense that when I send out Christmas cards, I include a line that says, “Dear Friend, in addition to holiday greetings … Happy Birthday, too!  It will be here before you know it, so let me be the first to wish you a warmest birthday greeting.”

No?

First and foremost – the crux of the issue is I do not have a master list of everyone’s birthday.  And, at what point do we draw the snail mail birthday card line?  Nieces?  Godchildren?  When will it end?  Only, I feel birthday cards are a dying art.  It’s true, by neglecting all of those unstamped cards for so many years, I’ve turned away from some core values.  Birthdays are special.  Getting mail is even more special.

So…here me now, believe me later.  This week I am collapsing all birthday lists in to one place.  If you receive an email asking for your birthday, don’t be annoyed.  Be overjoyed you made the cut.

Second … once I have this ‘list’ … it will be stored on my computer.  I tend to adore and access my laptop, so I know I will use the calendar.

Finally – and this is the BEST part.  I am going to buy a birthday card for every person on that list for the ENTIRE year.  That’s right.  I will be standing in that darn card aisle FOREVER.  Laughing at the Shoebox cards, but grabbing the 99 cent cards nearby.

I will then take 1 hour of my life to address all of these cards.  I will do this over the course of several work days.

I will then buy the appropriate book of stamps.

I will then shove all of these cards into my upper cabinet of my desk at work.  Really, this will work.  If I take the cards home, it will be over before it started.  (Cards=Clutter)

I’m not seeing how that is simple?  Does the implementation have to be simple for this to work?

Happy Birthday everyone, love ME.

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