Does a Smile Fit in an Envelope?

If you walk into my mom’s house, you are likely to find a few of the same things scattered in their usual spots.

Diet pop (or soda, if you please) in the crisper drawer, the book she’s currently reading on one of the family room end tables, and an addressed card or two propped up on the kitchen counter, waiting to go in the mail.

Lots of people send birthday cards, but my mom remembers anniversaries and new babies, weddings and new jobs, and sometimes just a card to say hello.

For a while, I took pride in having a stockpile of cards on hand for any occasion.  I flipped through my address book and sealed with little stickers and dropped them in the mail.  Then our budget tightened, my supply began to dwindle, and I found myself in front of card displays before holidays, mentally choosing the cards I would send.

Hallmark, of course, is the king of cards.  Wandering through their aisles, you see cards for big occasions and cards for small moments.  They have cards with words you wish you’d thought of and cards beautifully blank inside for you to fill with your own.

And thanks to Hallmark, I had the chance to channel my mom for a week.

Hallmark provided me with a packet of cards and stamps, though some of their cards now come with the postage already paid.  Their premise was simple: send a card a day for seven days.

Once again, I settled into my couch, legs underneath me, and opened my address book.

I sent cards that made me smile, signing my name and sealing the envelope with a flourish.  I wrote a note to a friend coming up to a bittersweet milestone with her child and sent away a smile to a blogging friend who makes me feel special every day.  I wrote to my grandma, who we already miss like crazy, and my best friend, and a friend I haven’t seen in far too long.

I received texts and e-mails and phone calls in return; like me, people like getting something besides bills in the mail.  Those little thank you messages made me smile, completing the circle, a hug through the miles that started with a card in the mail.

I also received silence, and I understand that, too.  To-do lists get long, and time slips into nighttime, and phone calls get postponed yet again. 

Still, watching those smooth envelopes slide into the blue mailbox each day, I was reminded of the beauty of a written note, a tangible thought, able to be tucked into a book or a car visor for a later moment. 

I may have to go out for a few more stamps.

their version of a greeting card

Hallmark provided me with a set of cards and postage to cover their mailing, but no further compensation was provided for this post.  All experiences and opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by Hallmark in any way.