December 28, 2021 — This new Thinking of You design is one of 43 NEW! cards that we’ll formally release next Tuesday. Informally, you can find them all right here right now. 😉 We singled this one out to share with you today because it has a particularly sweet and meaningful (albeit lengthy) backstory that really hits home this time of year …
The world lost a bright and happy light when Cardie JoAnn Dalziel passed back in July. She was a bigger-than-life member of this community, one who really tickled us with her wit. Just a year ago she first made her feelings known on a cardthartic.com order she placed. “It’s becoming more and more difficult to find truly meaningful cards,” she stated. “Grocery and drugstores still carry cards, but in a price range of $4.99 to $10.99. Plus, they are huge and ugly. Warmly, JoAnn Dalziel”
Still giggling over her pull-no-punches “huge and ugly,” we invited JoAnn to Introduce Yourself and, on that submission form, she explained, “In the past few years, I’ve been desperately searching for cards with deeper and more meaningful messages, sans glued-on glitter or goofy images, and I found my way to Cardthartic. The condolence cards in particular spoke to me, as they are always a simple photo with a few simple words inviting the recipient to open and read a very simple — and gently powerful — message that seems to say it all.”
When it came time to “upload a favorite headshot,” to hers, JoAnn added the Covid-era caveat, “For nearly a year now, I have dyed my own roots and cut my own hair. I am no stylist. My technique is clump and cut. I could scare a raccoon or make a baby cry.”
That cracked us up so much that we couldn’t resist featuring her humor in a cardie newsletter, which we decided to make a surprise. When that CNews hit her mailbox, JoAnn emailed straight away, “I am so shocked that my husband is still trying to scrape me off the floor as I unsuccessfully try to explain the background to all this. Hard to believe, but I am speechless. And, as usual, my hair is sticking out all over like a porcupine!
“It is said that a star is never recognized in his/her own lifetime,” she teased, “but this cardie newsletter is my proof that I am funny! Be assured that, if I get on Comedy Club, I will comp you front-row seats!” Every exchange with JoAnn was such a hoot that we promised her, “When we hold our first big Cardie Con, we’ll ask you to MC (porcupine hair and all)!”
After that exchange in March, we didn’t hear from this charmer again until a June email that read, “To all dear staff and Cardie Oma Hannlis. I have not communicated with you all since before Easter when I received Hannlis’ lovely card and read her beautiful essay, which I have kept. It is so difficult to share such sad and shocking news …
“Well, before Easter, I had not been feeling up to par. MD appt on May 4, left with referral to schedule a Ct Scan ASAP. Shocked to learn of pancreatic cancer that has spread to my liver. Chest scan then revealed blood clots on both lungs caused by the cancer. So now on blood thinners. Whew!
“I have an excellent oncologist at the University of Michigan Hospital. If not for his calmness, intelligence and ongoing care, I would not have the courage necessary to begin chemo this Monday, June 7. Love you all. Oh, I did receive my order of those extra-cute get well cards. Thank you so much. Love you all! 😘💓”
Wow. How exceptionally considerate does a person have to be to devote such precious time and energy to letting her fans know why we hadn’t heard from her. It meant so much — and we cared so much — that JoAnn’s Fairy Cardmother quick shipped her a Kindle loaded with all the cardie-favorite books recommended in our Whatcha Reading? issues of the newsletter. And ever the cardie champion, she added the audiobook The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Performing Stand-up Comedy. 👏🏼
JoAnn remained in our thoughts and prayers until her kind friend Carole Radzialowski posted the following message beneath her cardie profile: “I am a very fortunate recipient of the wonderful cards sent by JoAnn, a true ‘cardie.’ It is with a broken heart that I inform you of her passing on July 23, 2021. She was a very thoughtful person who had an excellent sense of humor and compassion.” Carole’s sense of loss was shared by all who knew this One-of-a-Kind. 😥
JoAnn’s friend Joan Rucker reached out to us in August, with ideas for a card that would serve as a tribute to her dearly departed. “I want it to be about friendship,” Joan proposed. “It should convey that a true friend is there for you. Even when your days hurry by, with little or no personal interaction, you still know that friend is there for you! Any chance these words would work: A true friend shines like a star … ever present even when not seen!”
It was tough telling Joan that, as much as we loved her intentions, the message just didn’t sound like Cardthartic (at least not to us). She lobbied hard, this friend anyone would be very lucky to have, and tried several variations. “I want this to be a card to send to someone whose friendship you really value,” she emphasized. “I wish I could have sent something like it to JoAnn … just as a surprise on an ordinary day. 😔
“If this card ever does come to fruition,” she shared, “I plan to send it to all JoAnn’s friends and others of my own and say, ‘Get one of these cards and tell that special friend what s/he means to you! I wish I could.’”
We’ve not given up on Joan’s proposed star card. In the meantime, we’ve published the girls in the hammock, where on the back you’ll read: Honoring Joan Rucker’s enduring love for her dear friend JoAnn Dalziel.
Should you choose to send this card to your own special friends, half the purchase price will be donated in JoAnn’s name to the University of Michigan Hospital’s Story Studio.
Your contribution will help fund “writers-in-residence who visit patients wishing to record a personal audio story for someone special in their lives free-of-charge.” How JoAnn is that!?!
Of course, JoAnn is far from the only star lost this year. Sadly, we all know someone no longer gracing this earth. The husband of longtime Cardie Pam Schulstad thoughtfully wrote to say that he had lost Pam and how much she loved being part of our community. When she lost her beloved friend Jamie in August, Contributing Cardie Paige Baker very beautifully expressed the grief we all have come to feel.
To JoAnn, we say thank you for inspiring goodness and humor. To her and all the other lost stars, our message is, “Shine on. We will talk again one day … there’s still so much more to say!”
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
What a beautiful story this story . Friendship is so important . It can help us through rough times just knowing someone is there rooting for us, praying for us, supporting us .
i had to go sit in my chair
and have a cry.
what a tribute.
thank you for sharing it.
I AM GIFTED TO BE A
CARDTHARTIC CARDIE !
Dear Jodee,What a touching letter. It brings back the friends of childhood and the friends who are so far away physically.
How one does without friends I do not know. “Life without friends is like a garden without flowers.”
Thank you for such a touching letter.
Teresa
I don’t understand why you don’t want to use the phrase, “that a true friend shines like a star etc.”. I am a great fan of sending friendship cards, and I
would buy those in a heartbeat.
It broke my heart to read about Joann, she sounded like quite the character & one we would have all enjoyed meeting in person. It says something about my stage of life that the majority of the cards in my order are sympathy cards. Cardthartic has such meaningful ones.
What a beautiful backstory! I feel like I kind of know JoAnn in reading what she wrote to you and how much she meant to Joan. Sounds like her memory will shine on in the people who love her.
Had to have a good cry after reading the stories and feeling like I know these people. I love sending cards for all occasions but especially for no reason at all. What a surprise when someone does that for me., just out of the blue and for no reason.
When my uncle was dying from lung cancer, I asked my aunt what I could do for him, he lived 200 miles away. She said he love to get snail mail and would love a card. So every week for months until he passed away I sent him a card. Each week he would sit in the window and wait for the mailman. When she asked what he was looking for he said Maureen’s card she never forgets.
Simply touching.