When Handmade Cards Are Appreciated (and When They're Not)

 

I had a funny conversation with someone at church this past Sunday. This lady had been gone for the better part of six months with complications from a surgery. We kept her in our weekly prayers at church, of course. But I would often try to remember to send her a card that let her know we were thinking of her and hoping she'd be well soon.

She returned this Sunday, and I welcomed her and told her how happy we were to see her back.

She said "Thanks for all the cards. I would look at them and say "Wow. Too much work."

Hmmm. How do you respond to that?

This lady loves to cook and bake, so I told her "You know how cooking and baking is your therapy? Well, card making is mine."

And a little voice in my head said "No more cards for you!" 😀

Let's face it. Some people are so appreciative of something pretty in the mailbox. And for others...well, that's just not in their love language.

When sorting through my mother-in-laws belongings this fall, I found a box where she'd saved almost every card I'd ever made her. And that's going back 20 years! You can imagine how bad some of my early creations were back in the day.

I am not one to save every card. As a matter of fact, I usually tell people that cards are ephemera, meant to be enjoyed for a short period and then recycled. 

So you can guess what I did with those cards.

But I saved this one to show you. Extra fancy! I was in my French toile period, obviously. 

Shortly after Mom passed away, I stumbled upon a card she'd sent me many years earlier for Mother's Day. She'd included a typed letter telling me how thankful she was for me, and what a blessing I'd been in her life and in her son's life. It was so sweet. I'm glad I saved it.

It was a good reminder to let people know how much you do appreciate them.

And maybe we can't speak everyone's love language, but we can appreciate them just the same.