I can’t tell you how much I love greeting cards. I love sending them and I love receiving them. It’s so nice to open up my mailbox and find one of those sturdy envelopes, hand-addressed by someone I love amongst all the bills and junk. It makes me smile every time.
I especially love the just-because cards. It’s nice to get and send cards for birthdays and I enjoy a Christmas card or two, but it’s those out-of-the-blue “I’m just thinking about you” or “I could tell from your last email that you need a little extra encouragement right now” cards that make my day.
I found one such card in my mailbox earlier this week, from one of my favorite people—my college roommate—who sends, and often handmakes, the best cards. And, somehow, her cards always reach me on a day, in a moment, when I need them the most.
It’s not easy living so far away from a bunch of people you love. It’s a sacrifice made by so many of us who live in the mountains, and in this great state; we have to leave a little bit of ourselves in another place, with people we love, in order to be in a place we love. For me, sending cards to the Michigan people I love when I really want to be there, but can’t, bridges that distance just a little bit. It brings me to joy to know that it will come as a surprise and I always place it in the outgoing mailbox with a little wish that it reaches its recipient on a day when she needs it the most.
Lately I’ve been feeling a little lost and I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what to do and where to go. And I’ve been missing my Michigan people like crazy. The card I got the other day was like a hug from one of those people and a reminder, when I needed it the most, that I’m not alone, not in how I feel, not in this world.
A few cards lines I love:
I’m also a big fan of handwritten thank you notes. I keep a stash of thank you cards at home and at the office to send to friends, donors and anyone who went the extra mile.
And speaking of greeting cards, if you ever find yourself wondering what to write to someone who’s grieving the loss of a loved one, you should read this post.
Bright Stars Big Mountains 