April 20, 2022 — With Mother’s Day little more than three weeks away, we want to show you our cards and meaningful gifts selection and pose a thought for reflection: “What moms have you found most inspiring and why?” ❤️

Is it your own? Maybe a friend of yours? Or might it be the mom looking back at you from the mirror each day? While of course not all mothers are admirable, we know so many who are that we’re going to invite you to acknowledge at least one who inspires you … we’ll add the card above FREE to all orders placed before April 25th. 😃

Through our Cardie Community alone we’ve met so many inspiring moms that we plan to do shoutouts to a few standouts closer to Mother’s Day. Today, we want to update you on one of our favorites, Nancy Hawthorne.

Nancy is especially special to us because she is the beloved mother of our great graphic designer, Brandon Hawthorne, and we can’t help but think that some of B’s gracious warmth, humor and kindness came from her. You may remember the happy story of Nancy’s 65-year marriage to B’s father, Cal, that we ran just before Valentine’s Day. In it, Nancy shared with us how she and Cal kept their love and affection going strong for more than six decades.

It was just three weeks later that Brandon sadly shared, “At 97, my dad died last night. Peacefully, at home. I’m sad but also relieved that, thanks to home hospice, he was without pain or drugs. Now we’ll focus 100% on Mom.”

Seven weeks now since his father’s passing, Brandon reports, “My mother is remarkable. Knowing how much she loved and enjoyed my Dad, and how much she must miss his constant companionship, it’s amazing to see her so upbeat, taking long walks, excited about the future.”

In fact, this very day Nancy moves from the house they shared into a retirement community. “She chose a brand new development, so everyone there is a new resident, all moving into the complex at the same time.”

Tomorrow Brandon will fly to South Carolina to spend the weekend in her new apartment. “Our plans include a trip to the Humane Society where Mom wants to adopt a senior cat, we’ll buy new outdoor furniture and plants for her balcony, then go out for a celebration dinner (to include oysters – her favorite :)

“It will be so interesting to see the new friends she’ll make in her new community,” Brandon says, “and the personal life stories they’ll have to share. Ten years younger than my father, Mom has always been at ease with herself and been able to put everyone around her at ease, too. She’s of Swedish descent and embodies the Scandinavian concept of ‘hygge,’ finding comfort, pleasure, and warmth through cherishing the simple little things in life. Never more than now have we been inspired by the peace living like that can bring.”

Looking toward Mother’s Day, this proud son states, “It’s one thing for people to say, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,’ and another to see your mom living that way. Very inspiring indeed!”