(An opinion piece on annual holiday greetings)

Well, it’s going to be December soon, the time of the year to gather our thoughts of the people in our lives together, and begin the frantic outreach plan to keep our relationships intact and vibrant for the years to come. This habit occurs all over the world. Humans have a common bond in this case. Everyone feels peaceful at this time of year and, even if there are bombs flying somewhere out of the sky on people, our social obligations won’t change.

It’s a very important, albeit a time consuming process. You will need to hurry and make sure that you don’t forget anyone. Those fringe friends whom you won’t meet for a while are counting on you to reach out, and let them know how much you miss them, and how you hope to see them all in the next year.

It seems that the use of greeting cards through the mail for this purpose is healthy and stable. Good for you, Hallmark. Postal services are jumping for joy.

And in Japan, the Japan Post workers are busier than ever with the Nengajo postcards that just about every family in Japan will send to friends and relatives, at no charge.

The Nengajo postcard makers and designers make money at this time of year, and they can guarantee themselves a profit every December during the holiday season.

I’ll take a break.

Excuse me, I’ll be back soon.