Hello my little leaf buddies!
It's probably no surprise that I bloody love greeting cards! I have an old shoebox full of special greeting cards from birthdays, Christmas, special occasions and from when times were tough. I’m also lucky enough to have a big scrap book full of cards that mum made for me when I was born. Its so funny to look back on these (the design trends were very different back then!) and see all these lovely messages from family and friends welcoming me into the world. It’s like a little time capsule of hope, love and beautiful messages.
When I go to a new place or on holidays I always buy greeting cards from local artists as a souvenir. They are small, inexpensive and a great way to support local creators.
Greeting cards are also the first thing I made and took seriously with my little business. I’ll never forget the first batch of cards I got printed and how proud and happy I was that my artwork could be used to hold such lovely messages for people.
So what is it about greeting cards that just makes me all gooey inside? Here’s are 5 reasons why I think they are so special.
1) Getting something physical and hand written is so much more special than a text or email
Let’s be honest, getting something in the mail is still just as exciting as when you were a kid. There is something just so nice about the adventure the card has been on just to get to your letterbox! It’s something physical you can hold, keep and appreciate and it takes a whole lot more thought and care than a simple text or email.
When e-cards became a thing it was thought that physical cards might get the boot as we embraced the digital world and social media. Royal mail even carried out a study on the difference between receiving cards and receiving online messages. What they found was that receiving a handwritten note or card had far greater emotional impact and made people feel more special and cared about than receiving emails or texts. I also think there is something beautiful about the Imperfections of handwriting. We look at typed text all day everyday. But when we get a chance to physically write and read someones handwriting, it adds a special authenticity into the message and care it took to write it.
2) You can tell people how you feel in writing without having to do in in person and feeling silly.
I’ve always been a particularly sentimental person, but also very shy and introverted. This can sometimes make it difficult to really express myself and tell people how I feel. So writing down my feelings, praise and gushy messages for people was always so much easier to do than say it out loud. Cards give you the outlet to tell people exactly how you feel in a concise and articulate way. You can craft your messages to say exactly what you want without the awkward pauses, um’s and then chickening out because you think you sound silly.
They also act as little mood boosters when you find these messages years later!
I came across a lovely hadn’t written note and little card from my mum just the other day and it was so sweet and special it made me cry. It must have been written at a time after I had visited and was complaining about having a hard time at work. The thought and time put into it and the beautiful message totally made my day, again- years later!
3) Its a special gesture than makes the giver and receiver feel joy
When you find the perfect card for someone, write the perfect heartfelt message and then watch as they read it and let out that little “Awwww, thank you so much!” You can’t help but feel a little swell of pride and happiness. Cards not only make the receiver feel happy, but also the person giving the card. Warm fuzzies all around!
4) You get to keep special memories
Looking back through my box of cards its hard not to feel very sentimental about the ones from my grandparents and great Nan who are sadly no longer with us. Every year without fail you would get a lovely card with a very exiting $20 note- which looking back on, was quite remarkable because there were a lot of grandchildren to keep track of. Reading these cards transport you back to all the fond memories you shared and how special they were.
Similarly reading back over special handmade cards from friends I’ve lost touch with give me a similar warm fuzzy feeling. Nothing bad happened between us, life just changed and we both moved on with our lives. But these cards let you hold onto a small little part of your childhood and the moments you both shared.
Emotionally, cards are the gift that just keep giving.
5) The pandemic has has shown us how important it is to stay connected.
If there is anything the pandemic has shown us, it’s how important connection is. Especially during the many lockdowns! Many people had some kind of important event while in lockdown. Birthdays, anniversaries, cancelled weddings. Cards were a great way to send a special message to cheer them up and let them know you were thinking of them. They allow us to connect to our loved ones on an emotional level and getting a card in the mail was so touching in a time where everything seemed so weird and uncertain.
Greeting cards are so much more than just a piece of cardboard with a fun design. They are able to express all human emotions, joy, thanks, sympathy, humour, love and admiration. They keep us connected and make us feel seen and special. They are the prefect gift that someone will treasure for years to come.
So don’t skimp out on the cards when you are in a rush to find a birthday present or Christmas gift! Keep sending cards to your love ones with special hand written notes for no particular reason other than to say you love them and are thinking of them. And buy that random greeting card from the local artist. It will make their day and you can never have too many blank cards at the ready!
Do you love greeting cards? Let me know how a greeting card has made your day or made you feel special.
Thanks for reading! Much love, hugs and ward fuzzies,
XO
~Bridge
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