It got me to thinking that these wonderful people have always included my wife Gina in their greetings--and I'd be willing to bet that they did this even before meeting her.
It's such an important thing to include loved ones in correspondence, but in this era of thoughtlessness and diminished manners, I should tell you about a holiday card I got in the mail that can accurately be labeled Bah! Humbug! This one was addressed to only me, which was annoying because for years I've made sure that I included both the husband and wife's names when I would mail them a quick holiday note--in the card's message and even on the envelope.
So my dilemma is...should I try to nicely ask them to include Gina in next year's card, or should I let it go? I can't just roll with that omission. This woman is my life partner and my equal--and sometimes I am not her equal, falling far short.
Several years back, I was miffed in similar fashion when some friends I met back in the '80s kept sending us stuff addressed to "Mr. & Mrs. Syrja." Sure, there are many who prefer that sort of formality, but I was rather bummed that they didn't just use our names. My marriage is sacred to me, yet I don't need the Mr. & Mrs. designation any more than I want to hear that "man and wife" crap term rather than "husband and wife." (Sorry, John Lennon, but I always change your line to the latter when I sing "Grow Old With Me.")
Anyway, I thought it was time to address the issue of this couple not using our names in their greeting cards, especially when I know that I introduced them to Gina in 2001 and again in 2002 on the two trips where I first brought her to Michigan. "Please jot down her name in your address book and include her the next time you write," is probably the way I phrased that request.
I've never heard from them again.