Merry Christmas ~ the custom of sending Christmas cards

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;
And that is when I realize that these names are 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.
And while it sounds fantastic for me to make this claim,
I really 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 a lot more than you 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 folk whom I'm indebted to.

For I am but the total of the many folk I've met,
And you happen to be one of those I prefer not to forget.
And 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 gift life can offer, is meeting folks like you!
~ Helen Steiner Rice

Note: We are indebted to our friends, Pat & Jim Northcott of Woodstock, Ontario, for sending this verse to us. Thank you to Sharon Jackson ~ after our appeal ~ for identifying the author as Helen Steiner Rice (1900 -1981) American writer, best known for her inspirational poetry. Thank you to Shirley & Gary O'Donnell and family for the above Christmas card.