Dec. 29, 2020 — If there’s one thing we’ve found that kind Cardies have in common, it’s practicing the art of writing thank you notes. And many say that, what now feels like second nature, was first modeled by their mothers.
As Ann John introduced herself by email four years ago now, “My love of a good card is in my genes. My mother lived every moment of every day and cards are something she loved both to send and receive! As my sisters and I were growing up,” Ann explained, “Mother would remind us often of the importance of properly expressing (in thank you notes!) our appreciation for even the smallest of gifts. Mama shared that, when she was growing up and times were hard, a card was considered a gift so, throughout her life, she continued to write thank you notes for each card she received …
“When our father passed away, Mother wrote a thank you note to every person who sent her a card. We daughters told her that really wasn’t necessary, but she wrote on. And, as you might guess, yes — as my sisters and I later revealed to each other — each of us had written a thank you note for every card we received acknowledging our sad loss on a lovely day in May.
“Our mother unexpectedly passed away at the age of 94, watering her garden,” Ann said. “She’d apparently stepped out in the middle of writing in a card to a 100-year-old friend. (That unfinished note was mailed as it was, with an added explanation of how it was found.)”
Can you imagine how tickled the McCracken sisters’ mother must be that we first published Ann’s sweet sentiment about her living every moment of every day as a condolence. And then eight more wonderful, everyday messages that Ann and sis Carla Schmitt sent us are now published on Cardthartic cards?! As Carla summed up so well, “Mama mailed love and encouragement tucked into every corner of the cards she sent throughout her long life, and her example is ingrained in our hearts and habits.”
I know I’ve written of how much thank you notes meant to my own mother before, but I’m going to share my story again now because — especially at this time of year — it’s such a strong statement to me. In fact, it’s led me to wonder if people who don’t send thank you notes have maybe just never experienced how powerful they can be to receive …
Fifteen Christmases ago, I arranged for my sister’s family to come cross-country to spend the holidays with Mom and me. At 82, my mother was Cardthartic’s original Fairy Cardmother, the unstoppable force who lived in the building next door. A week after our guests headed home, I found Mom on the floor of her kitchen; she’d suffered a stroke. I was allowed in the ambulance with her, and in ER for those 10 hours through the night. When Mom was finally moved to a room that afternoon, I slipped home to shower and walk my poor dog and, on my way in, grabbed my mail. And there was this thank you note from my mother.
Remember now, my mom lived a building away, so she’d already thanked me profusely in person. And by phone. And email. But like Ann and Carla’s mother — when it came to a proper thank you — mine, too, firmly believed that such a sentiment was not adequately expressed until it was hand-written, stamped and mailed.
Mom died peacefully three weeks later and, on the little corner desk in her kitchen, I couldn’t miss the open box of note cards and roll of stamps, with her pen still where it had fallen with her. She must have dropped my note in the mail, and gone back to writing.
Ann and I have shared our sense that our mothers left us an amazing legacy … sure signs that what we Cardies do truly matters. I’ll never again be able to sit and talk books or clothes or politics with my mom, or hear her 8:30 nightly phoned-in, “Good night!” Her quirky emails? Long gone. But that note, in her handwriting, with her little signature mouse … you can imagine how much it will forever mean to me.
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
It was just a little eerie that your post about thank you notes arrived just after I walked back from the mailbox having mailed a note to Bill’s niece for a lovely al fresco dinner at her club in Naples. In it, I told her that the dinner had made this unusual holiday season more festive. I hope that my thank you note brightens her day a bit. Getting handwritten cards with first class stamps (mine a tribute to the beloved late Gwen Ifill)) is always joyful to me–and, honestly, I enjoy writing them almost as much as receiving them.
Oh my . . . . a message to my heart and maybe from my mother’s heart to me. She was the original Thank you note writer. Even now, when I receive a lovely handwritten thank you note . . . I know for a fact that the writer was blessed with a good mother. It is our legacy to pass that along and see it live in our children through their thought-filled words. Was there ever a Christmas that I did not tuck a box of Thank you notes into their stockings before Santa arrived? No, and even this year, boxes of notes found their way into those same stockings. Now that is really the gift. Thank you for this wonderful sharing and yes, even for the tears it brought to my eyes. Thank you Ann, Carla and Jodee – clearly daughters of amazing mothers!
Jodee ~ what a blessing to have had such a mother. It’s no wonder you are in the business you’re in . . . using your creativity to spread love all over the world. I’m so thankful that I was introduced to Cardthartic this year.
It is heartening to hear that there are so many Mothers pass on these little effort & very important habits of showing kindness and appreciation.
In today’s fast paced technology world, a thank you card is even more special than ever.
It shows that you recognize the effort a friend or loved one put into their kind gesture or gift and that you appreciate them.
I LOVED this. ❣️ I write thank you notes, so this is why it “ hit home.”! My mother insisted that we write thank you notes ( or if it were a gift from a “local” we could say thanks by “phone “~ the one attached to the wall)! My 40 something year old daughter informed her elementary school age boys that writing thank you notes was ingrained in her from a young age and that there was no way she could not write a note~ and that was why they had to write them, too. This is becoming a lost art, but thanks to your card company and the rest of your Cardies, some of us are passing along this tradition!!! Kay
Right away your beautiful story made me think of one of my favorite cardthartic cards “ my gratitude journal has heard all about you.” Jodee, to have that last hand written note from your mom must fill your heart & help to close up the hole her passing left.
I cherish the thank you notes I have received & in this age where people think a text will suffice, no way. I am overjoyed to get a card that has been mailed & that I can hold in my hand & reread. That makes my day.