Greetings

Mary Ann

When you open your mailbox and fight your way through the charity requests, monthly bills, and endless catalogs, you find a colorful envelop nestled amid the jumble of paper.  You pull it out and find that a dear friend or special relative had sent you a card. Then a smile crosses your face and for a moment you experience pure bliss.  Someone remembered you with a greeting card.  

Few things can give you such joy as a birthday card or thinking of you card. Holiday wishes are captured in a rainbow of colors throughout the year.  There isn’t a digital card, text, or email that can capture the same feelings that a splash of color discovered in your mailbox.  Someone had to go out of their way to write to you.  They had to find a card, address the envelop, locate a stamp, and sign the card possibly adding a few thoughts. And all of this done using real handwriting. Remember handwriting?  It all seems like a lost art. 

I love to shop for cards selecting just the right one for the person I intend to write to.  The browsing is such fun and reading the text is uplifting for me.  However, it can be an expensive endeavor, especially if you frequently send cards.  Some cards can cost as much as $5-$10 dollars each. That really can add up if you send several cards.  When you are on a fixed income, it is something you must consider. However, there are some options that makes this all affordable. 

I have a friend who is in a card-making club, and at the monthly meeting, they make various cards.  They are cute, colorful, and clever. What a great way to get together with friends and create cards to bring joy to others. It brings joy to you as well.  I have another friend who is a talented photographer, and she make cards from the photos she takes.  I love getting a card from her.  You can get blank cards at craft stores like Michaels or online from Amazon.  You can even print your own photos.  I like doing this as well and have put collections together of travels or flowers as a gift of note cards.  

My best kept secret for greeting cards is Dollar Tree.  They have American Greetings and Hallmark cards for a $1.00, and Hallmark has created a line for Dollar Tree which is the best bargain yet – two cards for a $1.00. They offer holiday cards, standard birthday cards or get-well cards, and unique cards for new grandparents, retirement, bride-to be cards, and on and on.  I leave with a stack of cards, and my bill is often under $10.00. The cards are made of high-quality paper, often are sprinkled with glitter, and the envelops are colorful. At times, you need to give the envelops a good lick.   Now, there is no reason not to bring joy to close friends or beloved grandchildren and not break the bank. You will bring joy to loved ones, and in the end you will bring joy to yourself.