I send cards as a tangible way to reach people when they are celebrating, grieving, suffering, or in need of love and friendship. As a funeral and wedding celebrant, I write very personalized services. Currently, I am gathering a collection of essays from colleagues about how they cope with the new kind of grief/loss that people are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each essay has a theme about navigating the intense and frequent emotions we each feel. One day, in my favorite gift/craft shop, I saw the Cardthartic condolence card with the poignant sentiment, “When you’ve loved someone your whole life, their love surrounds you still … and always will.”
When a person is in the fog of grief, the enormity of the loss is often all they can feel. This gentle reminder that while death is undeniably physical separation, the strong feelings of love and memories of a lifetime cannot be erased or lost. The love that was shared cannot be destroyed, and in time, a person will discover the many ways that love lives on. So many people are losing loved ones without being able to comfort them or even say I love you or good bye one last time. I felt this card message was precisely what they need to remember, and I’m very grateful I found that card as it will touch many people.
The right card with a personally penned message to someone across the street, across town or around the world is something that touches the heart. That person knows I cared enough to choose the card, find the time to write the note and put it in the mail. Everyone loves to be thought of or remembered. To me, cards are the perfect antidote to texts and emails. They can be kept and re-enjoyed over and over again.
What beautiful words Teresa! My parents passed away in June and July of 2019 and I have remained in a fog of grief so long. I feel the fog now lifting and finally desiring to reach out to those that sent me cards of comfort. I loved my parents my whole life and know their love surrounds me. So true and sad that so many are losing loved ones right now and cannot be with them. This card does speak to us all!! Much success on your collection of essays!
Placing an order soon to begin showing my gratitude to those who reached out to me almost a year ago.
Teresa, if you are the daughter of John E and Marion R Schreiber, would you please contact me? I love your sentiments. I am about to attend a wake/service for a friend who just lost her husband after 69 years of marriage.