The Card

The first step to acceptance is admittance.  Hi, my name is Mya and I am addicted to cards. Note, thank you, birthday, blank, sympathy, special occasion…all the cards. I have two drawers full at home, another at the office and I’m sure many more stuffed  in nooks and notebooks hoping to be discovered at just the right time.

I wasn’t always hooked on them.  I began exploring in my early twenties. I got my first office job and my boss would take every opportunity to congratulate me on a job well done, send sympathy and well wishes with the most perfect words, always shining her sweet light.  I wanted to make others feel that way too.  And so it began.

It started innocent enough with the birthdays.  The list was small at first but it was hard to keep it under control.  Before I knew it, I was up to eighty a year. It felt so good the happy escalated pretty quickly into other occasions, sometimes even just because.  I once spent hours over the span of a few days sending grateful cards to every person that brought a meal, sent a gift or shared time with me while I was recovering from surgery to remove stupid cancer from my thigh. I wrote out each one finding just the right words and all the love that my heart could hold.  I actually shed overwhelming tears.  Too much? Don’t care. I’m in so deep I can’t feel your judgement.

And sure, I’ve dabbled in journals, composition books and cute little scratch pads but nothing beats the high of a card that lets your people know you appreciate their existence.  I also need to admit I’ve fallen off the wagon from time to time because well, teenagers and laundry.  But there’s always that 18 pack of gorgeous note cards on clearance or a friend who needs encouragement that brings me right back. My favorite part is just hoping they feel a little more loved.

Before I go and get my fix by sending a belated happy to my niece who just celebrated 22 years on earth, comforting thoughts to my mama and her siblings who said a heartbreaking goodbye to their little brother only weeks ago, and to my friend I couldn’t do life without I want to share a few final thoughts…

Saying a thank you is a major big deal. Sending a thank you not so much.  You should  speak thankfulness every chance you get. If you teach the young ones to say it they will do it half the time now but over the years they will do better. Sending a card though can get out of hand real quick (you send a thank you, they say thank you for the thank you, it gets dumb).  As a matter of fact, if I ever do anything for anyone that is reading this, don’t send me a thank you.  There, that’s one less.

Keep the cards others send to you that make you feel something…it’s priceless to look back on them when you need to smile or have a good cry. I have one I carry in my bag o’ stuff that my grandmother Odessa wrote to me many years ago just in case I need her preciousness that day.  I keep a box overstuffed with every note my husband has ever written to me and I have so many others that have the best words from my village. Priceless.

It really doesn’t matter if it’s homemade or Hallmark, if it already has the perfect words or you’ve added yours, if you mail it or leave it on the porch, or if you’ve sent the same card to same person three times (right, Mom?)…just put your love in there.  And don’t forget to put those clothes in the dryer.

Love.Love.