The Greeting Card Aisle

The greeting card aisle is a wonderful place. Or the tabletop display with a handful of different designs at the checkout of a local shop. But, the point is pausing at a selection of cards and reading a few is one of the best things to me. No matter what kind of day I’m having, reading a few greeting cards always make me think of people I love. People that I could mail a card to, to say hello. And that always makes me smile.

The search for the perfect card is something I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember. There isn’t one perfect card; there are many for each of life’s moments. But, I do always put in the effort to make sure the card matches the person receiving it and the occasion. When someone opens a card, it has to feel right. It has to feel like you cared enough to not just grab the first card you saw out of obligation. A card has to say the person matters enough for you to spend at least a minute or two caring more about them than worrying about how busy you are.

I was the kid with pen pals. I wrote letters to my sister at college, and then to my sister and my friends from college when it was my turn to move away. Letters written on a greeting card is still my favorite way to keep in touch and my favorite way to let someone know I’m thinking of them. It’s not the most practical way to catch up with people these days, but that’s not what matters to me. Saying hello, how are you with a text doesn’t compare to seeing your name and address handwritten on a colored envelope when you check your mail.

Receiving a card in the mail can make even the greatest of days better. I think about how the person who sent it had to be thinking of me when they picked out a card to send my way. They had to take the time to write a message inside and find my address. If they were out of stamps, they had to go to the post office to pay for postage in order to send mail to me. Even if they had stamps in stock, they still had to make time to go to a mailbox and put my letter in the slot. From there the postal service works their magic and the card arrives. And I get to be reminded that that person cares enough to go out of their way. For me.

Starting in high school, the greeting card aisle is where I would go when I was feeling like I needed to cheer myself up. Lonely, anxious, overwhelmed, scared; it didn’t matter. I could change my whole perspective with ten minutes in the greeting card aisle. And often a twenty so I could bring a few home with me. Reading card after card, I would think of all the people in my life that would appreciate the cute puppies running in tall grass or that would laugh at the silly dinosaur pun. By the time I’d reach the checkout, I’d know I wasn’t alone. I’d know that whatever was making me upset, I had people in my life who would support me. I’d know I could handle whatever it was.

I still love browsing a greeting card selection. I love the challenge of picking out birthday cards, thank you cards, and just because cards. Even if there isn’t an obvious occasion in the near future, I always spend a few minutes reading cards that catch my eye. Maybe I put more stock in the meaning of greeting cards than most people do. But, if someone else gets even half the enjoyment out of receiving a card as I do, then my time is well spent.

Most of the cards I buy have a person they are meant for, but some cards are more versatile. I just get a feeling that they will have a perfect moment in the future and I buy them for the small inventory I like to keep on hand at home. Sometimes you need to send a letter faster than you can go to the store to pick a card out. And, I like knowing that I can act quickly when I know that someone I love needs to feel appreciated.

When you mail a greeting card, you are sending a whole lot more than a hello. You are sending someone comfort, appreciation, and hope. You are letting someone know that you will go out of your way on their behalf. And that is a wonderful feeling to receive in your mailbox.