DearDarlingSon
&ThatPersonYouMarried,
MerryChristmastoyou,andpleasedon'tworry.I'mjustfineconsideringIcan'tbreatheoreat.Theimportantthingisthatyouhaveaniceholiday,thousandsofmilesawayfromyourailingmother.
I'vesentalongmylasttendollarsinthiscard,whichIhopeyou'llspendonmygrand-children.Godknowstheirmotherneverbuysthemanythingnice.Theylooksothinintheirpictures,poorbabies.
ThankyousomuchfortheChristmasflowers,dearboy.Iputtheminthefreezersothey'llstayfreshformygrave.
Whichremindsme--weburiedGrandmalastweek.Iknowshediedyearsago,butIgottoyearningforagoodfuneralsoAuntViolaandIdugherupandhadtheservicesalloveragain.
Iwouldhaveinvitedyou,butIknowthatwomanyoulivewithwouldhaveneverletyoucome.Ibetshe'sneverevenwatchedthatvideotapeofmyhemorrhoidsurgery,hasshe?
Wellson,it'stimeformetocrawlofftobednow.Ilostmycanebeatingoffmuggerslastweek,butdon'tyouworryaboutme.
I'malsogettingusedtothecoldsincetheyturnedmyheatoffandamgratefulbecausethefrostonmybednumbstheconstantpain.
Nowdon'tyoueventhinkaboutsendinganymoremoney,becauseIknowyouneeditforthoseexpensivefamilyvacationsyoutakeeveryyear