Nov. 17, 2020 — If ever there was a Thanksgiving to make sure our loved ones know just how grateful we feel to have them, this would be it!
Last Friday, after we unveiled our new Bless the Helpers boxed notes, I made my list: it included the well-mannered kid who (all too often!) delivers pizza, the building’s well-meaning maintenance man, and our very-caring vet. Then I started looking through our gratitude collection to match cards with my nearest and dearest. How cool to see how many Cardie-favorite cards were written by Cardies! Beginning with all those designs you see below, each with its own interesting backstory.
The design above began as a note from longtime friend and former neighbor, Oriana Lehmann Wood. Ever exceptionally eloquent — be it in English, Italian, or Spanish — Oriana is as thoughtful as she is gracious. We met through our dogs here in the hood about 20 years ago (that was two dogs ago for each of us now) and soon grew close. In 2003, when Oriana and her great husband Justin decided to move from Miami Beach back to Scottsdale where they grew up — I had no doubt we’d stay connected … that’s just the kind of friend she is.
A year ago, Oriana came back to the beach to hang with me for a week and left a lovely, long note behind. Its first line you’ll see we published on this gorgeous card, and the rest was a thorough and charming recap of what she’d cherished most about her stay. And about me. ☺️
What I learned from what Oriana wrote — and from reading what many of our most-caring Cardies write and share with us, too — is that what makes cards great is not so much what we print on them as what you pen in them!
Oriana’s message made me feel seen and appreciated: She was very specific about how our time together touched her, and clearly stated the qualities she values most in me. Throughout, she honored my emotions and her own. So — thanks, Oriana! — that’s the sort of message I’m going to pen in the gratitude cards I order today. I’m going to make the space and time to sit and truly savor what special something each person brings to my life, then write exactly that in their card. And I may even leave space for “Happy Thanksgiving!”
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
PS: This Just In! 😃 Earlier this morn, we were nearly ready to send you the story above, when an email arrived from Oriana popped in. “Serendipity!” it read. “Justin and I hiked this weekend and stopped for lunch at a wonderful market, diner, gift shop called The Thumb. I said, ‘Boy this sure would be the perfect spot for Cardthartic cards!’ AND … Wait for it …”
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