MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
OK, Steve, I'm just going to tell on myself - I don't send holiday cards.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
OK.
MARTIN: I love getting them, but I don't send them. You?
INSKEEP: Basically the same. We've sent a few over the years, but they're a lot of work. I mean, it's great to show off your kids, but it's just - it's an effort. Holidays are busy.
MARTIN: OK, well, our colleague Claire Murashima asked - on social media, of course - to hear from single women who sent out holiday cards. And she got more than a thousand responses. Here are a few.
JACQUELINE GERMAIN: About three years ago, I started a practice of designing my own cards to reflect some of the adventures that I've had over the past year.
AVA FERGUSON: I'm a woman who makes money and has free will, so I'll spend my money how I please. And that means I'm going to send all of my close friends and family a reminder that I care about them.
HOLLY DONLIN: I love stationery and I love, like, a little art project. And I love to send my face to people.
MARTIN: That's Jaqueline Germain (ph), Ava Ferguson (ph) and Holly Donlin (ph).
INSKEEP: I guess our colleague was raising this question because it sort of defies the stereotype. You've got a family, you show off your family. But in this case, it's somebody who's by themselves, but they're doing this thing.
MARTIN: Exactly. Sharon Sassler is a social demographer and professor at Cornell University. And she said she isn't surprised to see solo women doing this.
SHARON SASSLER: This is a pretty traditional gender story where women are traditionally seen as the kinkeepers.
MARTIN: And she says sending out holiday cards is the modern way of keeping close family ties.
SASSLER: Even though they're single and don't necessarily have kids yet, they're still working to stay connected.
INSKEEP: I guess there's also a little bit of an artistic sensibility here.
MARTIN: Yeah. And Alissa Sasser (ph) of Tampa says putting her holiday cards together is half the fun. But you know what? She says there's another side to this.
ALISSA SASSER: I am a hopeless romantic. So maybe I will send my card to a friend or family member, they'll throw a holiday party and my future husband will be there. And he'll be like, oh, my God, who is that? And they'll be like, wow, I've really never thought about this before. I'm going to set you two up. Boom. Next thing you know, I'm married.
INSKEEP: (Laughter) Boom. (Laughter) OK. And even if you're not looking for romance, holiday cards are a great way to keep in touch.
MARTIN: Except for slackers like us.
INSKEEP: Well...
MARTIN: Yeah.
INSKEEP: So I'll just call.
MARTIN: We're bad. We're bad.
INSKEEP: I'll send you a text.
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