Love, Sarah
It was that time again. Sarah Matthews took the box of cards from the cupboard. Her best handwriting pen, address book, the radio and a mug of coffee at hand, she was ready to write the Christmas cards.
As she sorted through the designs, deciding which cards suited which friend or family member, her mind wandered.
Thinking back, Sarah supposed the first cards she would have written must have been with the help of her mother. She had a vague memory of laboriously, with determination, writing her name on ruled pencil lines, to be rubbed out by her mother later.
That signature ‘Love, Sarah’ was to be her signature on cards until she was 26. She then became part of a couple, and ‘Love, Sarah and Tom’ was the new signature!
Hardly any time to get used to this new signature, then along came their first baby. Sarah felt a burst of pride the first time she wrote ‘Love, Sarah, Tom and Daniel’.
Two years later it was ‘Love, Sarah, Tom, Daniel and Laura’
Five busy year later and at Christmas the cards read ‘Love Sarah, Tom, Daniel, Laura and Amy’
Many of those who received a Christmas card from the Matthews family that year were very surprised to see that fifth name!
Years passed by, with Sarah writing that same five name signature on the cards every December. Daniel preferred to be called Dan as he grew older, so Sarah amended the signatures to reflect that.
When Dan and Laura went away to university, Sarah continued to include their names. They still officially lived at home after all! Once both had graduated, got jobs and moved out of the family home, Sarah stopped adding their names.
Then there was a first time signature ‘Love, Sarah, Tom and Amy’
Amy moved out eventually, and into her own home, so her name was absent from the cards the following Christmas
As the years went by Sarah and Tom had a full and busy family life. Three grown up children, five grandchildren and another on the way.
Their Christmas cards didn’t reflect that life however, with the reduced signature of ‘Love, Sarah and Tom’.
Sarah soon got used to it, and the cards were certainly written much more quickly these days!
Coming back to the present, Sarah sighed, took a big sip of her coffee, and prepared to write the cards.
Losing Tom suddenly last spring was a shock, but she had over 40 very happy years to look back on.
Writing these cards was going to be hard, but it had to be done.
With determination she signed the first card
‘Love, Sarah’
************************************************** **************************
It was that time again. Sarah Matthews took the box of cards from the cupboard. Her best handwriting pen, address book, the radio and a mug of coffee at hand, she was ready to write the Christmas cards.
As she sorted through the designs, deciding which cards suited which friend or family member, her mind wandered.
Thinking back, Sarah supposed the first cards she would have written must have been with the help of her mother. She had a vague memory of laboriously, with determination, writing her name on ruled pencil lines, to be rubbed out by her mother later.
That signature ‘Love, Sarah’ was to be her signature on cards until she was 26. She then became part of a couple, and ‘Love, Sarah and Tom’ was the new signature!
Hardly any time to get used to this new signature, then along came their first baby. Sarah felt a burst of pride the first time she wrote ‘Love, Sarah, Tom and Daniel’.
Two years later it was ‘Love, Sarah, Tom, Daniel and Laura’
Five busy year later and at Christmas the cards read ‘Love Sarah, Tom, Daniel, Laura and Amy’
Many of those who received a Christmas card from the Matthews family that year were very surprised to see that fifth name!
Years passed by, with Sarah writing that same five name signature on the cards every December. Daniel preferred to be called Dan as he grew older, so Sarah amended the signatures to reflect that.
When Dan and Laura went away to university, Sarah continued to include their names. They still officially lived at home after all! Once both had graduated, got jobs and moved out of the family home, Sarah stopped adding their names.
Then there was a first time signature ‘Love, Sarah, Tom and Amy’
Amy moved out eventually, and into her own home, so her name was absent from the cards the following Christmas
As the years went by Sarah and Tom had a full and busy family life. Three grown up children, five grandchildren and another on the way.
Their Christmas cards didn’t reflect that life however, with the reduced signature of ‘Love, Sarah and Tom’.
Sarah soon got used to it, and the cards were certainly written much more quickly these days!
Coming back to the present, Sarah sighed, took a big sip of her coffee, and prepared to write the cards.
Losing Tom suddenly last spring was a shock, but she had over 40 very happy years to look back on.
Writing these cards was going to be hard, but it had to be done.
With determination she signed the first card
‘Love, Sarah’
************************************************** **************************
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