Lots of people, like Wicker and Wilde, exchange Christmas cards with the same people year after year, but how many exchange the exact same card every year? Laurie Matthews and Karen Petillo do.
What started as a joke has turned into a 41 year tradition with a card that’s now worn around the edges and being held together by tape.
It all began in 1980, when Laurie mailed the card that reads, “A Season of Peace and Serenity” to her pal Karen. But when it arrived, she had no idea who it was from because Laurie forgot to sign it and there was no return address. When Karen mentioned the mystery card to her, Laurie revealed it was from her. And after Christmas, Karen kept the card and when the next Christmas rolled around, she dated it, added her initials and mailed it back to Laurie. And their tradition was born.
Over the years, the women lost touch at some points when life got busy, but they continued their Christmas card connection. They don’t write anything else on the inside, but they now have a four decades-long list of dates and initials reflecting their ritual. The women recently saw each other in person for the first time in 30 years or so and spent four hours catching up, but the card has been the thread keeping their friendship going and they have no plans to stop it now. Karen teases, “We’ve joked that the two older kids have to take it over when we pass.”
