Cards: Simple but Touching Gestures

A card from a mother to a student offering kind words and best wishes.

A card send from a daughter away at school back home to her parents to catch up. 

A card sent to a girl at summer camp by her mother.

A greeting card sent to a woman named Erika by a family member to catch up with her.

The card is one of the most common forms of handmade everyday writing for the expression. The reasons for sending a card can range from major holidays, major life events, or the simple sake of fun and love. Much like a written letter, a handwritten message on a paper card is taken by many as a more serious gesture than its digital equivalent.  Dan Andrews of exploreinspired.com puts it beautifully: "The gestures we as family members, friends, colleagues, partners, or strangers make, have the power to make people feel either significant or insignificant. So write someone a note to let them know they’re significant. You’ll feel great for making the gesture, and what’s more important, is the smile you bring to their face." (exploreinspired.com)

In my family, cards are still exchanged with a short message of love on every holiday and birthday. Some of my family members even use them to distribute their children's yearbook pictures to loved ones.  These artifacts build off of the card's original tones and themes to display the spirit found in my family. As I crafted this exhibit, I noticed that the card holds a special, if not primary, place in the relationship between familial love and everyday writing. More traditional handwritten letters on lined paper are becoming increasingly rare, but cards have remained a popular physical alternative to digital texts. Whether these cards contain several paragraphs or just a sentence or two of writing, you can experience the underlying feelings of love when you read them. Unlike with a traditional letter, a family member who may not be William Shakespeare can make a touching gesture by only writing a few sentences. For these reasons, I believe the practice of mailing handwritten cards to our loved ones will live on as long as possible. The physical card is a uniquely versatile genre of everyday writing, and it still stays strong in our digital age. 

Cited source: http://exploreinspired.com/the-power-of-a-postcard-and-why-i-send-one-every-day/ (Now, Go Send a Postcard)