Feb 06, 2024 —Today we might say there is sadness in a well-loved family … and in one much-admired Cardie. After years of caring for their sister through “the long goodbye” that is Alzheimer’s, Mary Morini and her siblings said a final farewell to their sister Teresa last week.
As I quickly learned from the very first email Mary wrote us in 2015 to simply profess her love of our stories and cards, this retired HR exec’s thoughtfulness and genuine interest in what other people are facing makes her a remarkable writer indeed. And even more than feeling honored to publish her words in our cards, I consider myself blessed that she’s become a dear friend. She shared with me the joys as well as immense challenges of doing what was in her sister’s best interest — no matter how hard the call.
Just as we feel for Mary now, we’re also touched by the strength we see in the many other Community members who have faced — or are facing — such a trying experience. How heart-wrenching it must be to see someone they love lose their bright mind and cherished memories; in Teresa’s case, Mary knew her sister to be a very respected and much-loved high school Spanish teacher who regularly heard from admiring students she’d taught 40 years ago.
To both honor Teresa’s legacy and provide a bit of support to families like Mary’s, we have an idea: Those who follow Cardthartic know that Mary has shared with us many of the beautiful sentiments that have come from her big heart through her sharp mind over the years.
One of the first, going back to 2015, was the so-wise and true message she wrote for her beloved sister-in-law Loretta’s eulogy. Mary’s amazing way with words has brought 18 Cardie-favorite designs to the world so far.
So, in the coming week, let’s say that, for every one of “Mary’s cards” you purchase, the profits will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. We may not be able to bring back all the years Mary’s family has missed with Teresa due to this illness, or all those Contributing Cardie Marilyn Steidle hoped to have with her kind-hearted husband Jim in retirement. But maybe this gesture will help assure Cardies like Carla Schmitt and her great husband Robb that a whole bunch of Cardie love is with them as they go about helping to care for Robb’s mom.
For sure, all our good thoughts and hard-earned dollars will go farther when we send them together. As Contributing Cardie Candy Clausell put so well, “My heart goes out to the caregivers of loved ones with memory issues; I admire their strength and caring. I know, for me, it’s painful to witness a few of my friends — whose wonderful, passionate minds I’ve admired for decades — start to slip away. May we all be filled with hope and the belief that we still live on in their hearts, as they do in ours.”
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
Feb 06, 2024 — Today we might say there is sadness in a well-loved family … and in one much-admired Cardie. After years of caring for their sister through “the long goodbye” that is Alzheimer’s, Mary Morini and her siblings said a final farewell to their sister Teresa last week.
As I quickly learned from the very first email Mary wrote us in 2015 to simply profess her love of our stories and cards, this retired HR exec’s thoughtfulness and genuine interest in what other people are facing makes her a remarkable writer indeed. And even more than feeling honored to publish her words in our cards, I consider myself blessed that she’s become a dear friend. She shared with me the joys as well as immense challenges of doing what was in her sister’s best interest — no matter how hard the call.
Just as we feel for Mary now, we’re also touched by the strength we see in the many other Community members who have faced — or are facing — such a trying experience. How heart-wrenching it must be to see someone they love lose their bright mind and cherished memories; in Teresa’s case, Mary knew her sister to be a very respected and much-loved high school Spanish teacher who regularly heard from admiring students she’d taught 40 years ago.
To both honor Teresa’s legacy and provide a bit of support to families like Mary’s, we have an idea: Those who follow Cardthartic know that Mary has shared with us many of the beautiful sentiments that have come from her big heart through her sharp mind over the years.
One of the first, going back to 2015, was the so-wise and true message she wrote for her beloved sister-in-law Loretta’s eulogy. Mary’s amazing way with words has brought 18 Cardie-favorite designs to the world so far.
So, in the coming week, let’s say that, for every one of “Mary’s cards” you purchase, the profits will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. We may not be able to bring back all the years Mary’s family has missed with Teresa due to this illness, or all those Contributing Cardie Marilyn Steidle hoped to have with her kind-hearted husband Jim in retirement. But maybe this gesture will help assure Cardies like Carla Schmitt and her great husband Robb that a whole bunch of Cardie love is with them as they go about helping to care for Robb’s mom.
For sure, all our good thoughts and hard-earned dollars will go farther when we send them together. As Contributing Cardie Candy Clausell put so well, “My heart goes out to the caregivers of loved ones with memory issues; I admire their strength and caring. I know, for me, it’s painful to witness a few of my friends — whose wonderful, passionate minds I’ve admired for decades — start to slip away. May we all be filled with hope and the belief that we still live on in their hearts, as they do in ours.”
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
Thank you…what a kind and thoughtful gesture.
Wishing Mary’s family peace.
Their love lives on in the hearts of those they loved. ALWAYS & FOREVER.
Our sympathy to Mary on her loss & the hole in her heart right now. As I looked through her cards I recognize many that I’ve sent over the years. Her heart speaks to mine. Thank you Jodee for the generous offer to help the Alzheimer’s association.
Love and prayers to Mary’s family. What a wonderful gesture! I ordered 8 of her cards– my honor and my pleasure.
God bless Mary Morini’s family and everyone who’s caring for someone with dementia. I’m sharing the name Paula Taliaferro because I’ve learned so much from her as a volunteer with Ohio Health Hospice. If you google her name and the word dementia, you may find a video that is is almost an hour long from the Central Ohio Agency on Aging. It doesn’t hold a candle to one of her in-person workshops, but it’s worth mining for nuggets of solid gold. My favorite is the hand-under-hand technique for caregivers. Research shows that palm to palm contact is calming for people who are frightened or agitated and I’ve seen it work.
Also thanks to Paula, I’ve started listening to more music throughout the day. Paula says music is the only evidence-based enhancer of brain activity. Makes me love our music card more than ever!
My hope is that Cardies who are caring for loved ones whose brains are failing, will benefit from Paula’s good information. One of the best stories Paula tells is about a woman with dementia who became frightened at night when her aging husband tried to get into bed with her… she didn’t recognize him… Paula studied some family pictures and realized the woman remembered her now-bald husband as a handsome man with lots of dark hair. She advised the husband to wear a ball cap to bed, and they lived happily ever after!
What a wonderful idea and generous gesture! I’m going shopping now :-)
What a kind and caring tribute. My sincere sympathy to Mary and those who were touched by her sister.
Now to place my order…