No timestamps, no read receipts, no pressure to immediately (or ever, really) reply. There’s just something so beautiful about sending and receiving a card. A raw care and acknowledgement that you are seen and loved.
There are a million reasons to send a card to someone. I’m going to give you my 6 favorite universal reasons to send a card. I can guarantee you can find at least one (if not more) that you could do right now.
Six Reasons to Send a Card
1. Say thank you to someone
We cannot exist in this world alone, and there is always someone you can thank in your life.
A couple of people you could say thank you to:
- Someone who helped you out recently. This can be a person who showed up in person to help you, someone who helped you get out of a bind or through a hard time, or someone who referred a new client to you.
- Someone who inspires you or you admire. What a wonderful card to receive. Someone gives you the gift of inspiration and out of nowhere, they receive a letter that tells them how much they have made an impact on your life. Obviously only do this if you know them personally or if they publicly give their address. If it’s someone local and you’re amiable to it, you could also use that one-to-one personal connection of writing a thank you card to ask to grab coffee sometime.
- A client or customer. If you own your own business or are in an account-based career, such as life insurance or accounting, you know that the people who come to you to solve whatever problem they have are the reason you’re doing what you’re doing. Without them, you wouldn’t have that business or career. So let them know! I absolutely love doing this. I’ll send thank you cards to customers of mine on a whim, just because I am so grateful they chose to shop in my store. You taking the time to do this will be worth it to both parties - trust me.
- They sent you a gift. What a classy move in the 21st century to follow up a gift with a thank you card. Just sit with that for a moment.
2. Lift someone up by sending an encouragement card to a friend
This can be someone who needs a little pick-me-up or that should know how amazing they are. Encouragement cards are oftentimes called friendship cards. Why? Because it is out of true friendship that you are sending the card (even if it’s not to a textbook definition “friend”). There’s someone that you cross paths with in life that you want to make sure knows why you’re happy they are here.
Encouragement cards are some of my favorite cards to design and send because it is sent out of pure love. So send a little love to someone, whether they “need it” or not. Every one can use a little more love, to be honest, even if they don’t outwardly express it.
3. A just because card to catch up with someone
Haven’t talked to someone in a while? Have a recipe or seeds you want to share? Did you buy a sticker just for a person because it was so “them” that you couldn’t help yourself?
I’m a firm believer that you don’t ever need a reason to send a card and that’s the entire reason “thinking of you” cards exist. So, just send the card. Literally gift someone the feeling of pure joy and connection for less than $6. I would pay a hell of a lot more than that to give more pure joy to someone.
4. Say happy birthday!
Don’t yell at me because this one’s so obvious because think of this: when’s the last time you’ve sent a birthday card?
If you said recently, amazing for you! That is awesome.
However, more often than not people don’t send cards. Or they send birthday cards to kids, then stop when they’re older.
Fun doesn’t stop when someone is a little older or an “adult.” People still want to feel loved and remembered.
And no excuses here, friend.
If you’re terrible at birthdays, log birthdays somewhere on a calendar (digital or paper) or just on a piece of paper that’s visual. I struggle with this so much, so I have to be a little more proactive about remembering.
Don’t know birthdays? Ask a relative, reach out to your friends and honestly tell them you’re trying to get better at birthdays (no shame there), or head to your Facebook if you have one.
Never have a card in time? Get a pack of birthday cards so you don’t ever have to hunt for one. Check out this Lucky Dog Birthday Bundle that saves you a little cash by getting 5 or 10 cards at a time.
5. Celebrate an achievement or life change
This one is so fun and so EASY.
Congratulate them, give them a little gift that can fit in the card if you feel like it, and just be happy for them!
Rinse, repeat.
There are so many reasons to celebrate that I couldn’t possibly list them all, but here are a few:
- New home
- New baby
- Graduated high school
- Started or graduated college
- Passed an important exam
- Finalized a divorce
- Got married or engaged (it’s not lost on me that divorce is just above this, but life is full of so many ups and downs, let’s celebrate them all)
- Started a new job (and/or quit a toxic one)
- Did something scary or hard
- Got a new puppy or kitten
- Got their driver’s license
Check out another blog I wrote if you’re curious about all the gifts you can put in a card. Just please don’t send glitter.
6. Mourn with them
If there’s ever someone in your life going through grief, please just send them a card. Even if you see them day in and day out and you can tell them in person. Sending a card gives them the ability to read your sweet words and sit with their grief in private without feeling so alone. It also gives you the time to put together your words in a thoughtful way.
For the love of all things, send them a card.
A lot of people shy away from sending a sympathy card because it’s so hard and it’s so scary. Unfortunately I’ve sent so many sympathy cards and guess what? It doesn’t get easier. But the impact still doesn’t change.
I put this as the last one on the list because hopefully (and statistically) it’s less common, but if I had to put it in a spot of importance, it would be first.
Because I know it’s difficult, I’ve taken the time to write out prompts and other ideas for sympathy cards. Take a look at this blog post on what to write in a sympathy card.
If I’m being honest here, I really just gave you about 25 thoughtful reasons to send a card smushed into 6. And I’d love to know what you think! Sparked any ideas?
Sometimes the hardest thing about writing a card is thinking it has to be perfect. Think of when you’ve received a card. What did you care about? You likely weren’t analyzing it for every flaw or expecting the perfect words to be on the page. If you’re anything like me, you were so overwhelmed with how sweet and caring the person was to even think of you.
So just send the card.
We are inundated daily with messages on our digital devices, our focus and attention pulling a million miles a minute.
In a world full of spam and digital overwhelm, choose analog.
If you read this and think “Well I just don’t have the time,” I invite you to read another blog I wrote on how to send a card when life is so full and busy.
Thank you so much for reading this far. If you loved what you read, I share more like this in my emails. You can sign up and get a free card or sticker in the process right here. I hope to see you in there - and don’t be a stranger.
Connecting and inspiring humans through color is the reason I’m here. If you want to see what inspires me, make sure to take a look at my cards. I design and handcraft them all in my studio in Atlanta, Georgia.
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