Have you ever had the experience of wanting to pick out a card for someone? A birthday card or a wedding card? Fill in the occasion. If you’re like me, you’ve probably stood there in Target or Wal-Mart in front of a sea of greeting cards, feeling like there’s so many options but none that really express what you want to say. Sometimes you can get lucky and find one that’s perfect, like you designed it yourself. That always makes me so happy – knowing somebody out there thinks like me. But most of the cards available I find either crude, cheesy, glib, or long-winded. The worst cards are the ones that have a photo of man’s shirtless torso with some obnoxious phrase on the cover. I don’t even bother with the inside. Me and my best friend at 20-years-old wouldn’t have found that card amusing. I’m also not a fan of birthday cards with really long poems inside. The stereotypical sympathy card found at Dollar Tree is quite depressing.

For a while, to circumvent the problems with store bought cards, I just made cards myself. Sure, they weren’t as aesthetic looking as the store bought ones, but they were heartfelt. My husband has kept all the ones I made him during our dating years and even pre-dating years as “just friends.” I’d print out photos of our favorite Pixar movie characters, cut them out, and glue them onto a folded up piece of construction paper. Inside there’d be a typed up or handwritten poem of our favorite things: Tim McGraw lyrics mixed in with some of our favorite inside jokes.

I remember as a 17-year-old when I left my first real job at Subway, I made little cards for everyone. I’ll never forget that one of the grown men I worked with nearly started to cry after he read what I’d made him. It was just a simple card that contained a recollection of our funniest moments at work together. I’d also written some words of encouragement to him. He told me it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. Wow. I’m a believer in the power of hand-written notes.

Here lately I’ve spent some time scouring the web looking for the perfect thank you card for someone who has helped me a lot in my life. Giving a thank you card pales in comparison to what he’s done for me. I’ve seen some really nice cards that have a beautiful front: watercolor mountains, an elegant message in a bottle, pastel bouquets, a rustic bicycle, etc. I like the simple ones that are blank inside to allow for that handwritten “thank you.” I have yet to pick out the best one. In my older age now, I feel it’s more appropriate to send real cards – but of course with the personal touch inside.

My favorite cards I’ve received usually have dogs printed on them or a photo of some other thing that I like. And I love the heartfelt notes inside – specifically my mom’s “Mama” in her swirly penmanship. I’ve saved a lot of cards over the years. They’ve marked graduations, my wedding day, birthdays, and simple “thank yous.”

I think what matters when picking out a card for someone is to think about what that person likes. What would make her feel that you thought of her? Maybe it’s a running shoe, a black lab, a sandwich, a sunset. And, I think it’s okay if the card cover is an expression of you as well. At the least, the inside of the card can be your expression. Take time to write what you mean. It can just be a few words. That’s the beauty of words in written form. They hang there. I find it easier to write than to speak. Cards are a wonderful vehicle for delivering your admiration for someone, your gratitude, your love. Cards are the bottle for the message. So tell that person what a blessing he is to you or how she’s made your world a better place or how you’re unspeakably proud of her.

And don’t underestimate the power of your card – more specifically – the power of the note you put inside the card. I challenge you to not just sign the card you select (or make) but to write something heartfelt. You’d be surprised at the difference it can make for someone. And even if your “thank you” seems too small, I believe it’s important to tell of your gratitude. I’ll bet the thank you isn’t insignificant to the one you’re thanking.

This measly blog is like a card in a sense. Thank you, dear fellow blogger/web surfer, for taking the time to read this 🙂 ~