October 26, 2021 — With Thanksgiving coming up in a month, we thought you might like to see the designs cardies choose more than any other to express gratitude. We chose to feature the one above because I’m so thankful its beautiful little message led Cardthartic in a whole new direction six years ago …

If you’ve been part of our community for any time at all, you likely know of Contributing Cardie Mary Morini.

After reading a cardie newsletter back in 2015, the retired HR exec graciously emailed to say how much she enjoyed our cards and their backstories, and closed with, “Blessings come in many forms, Jodee. Thank you for being one of them for me.”

Inspired as well as touched, along with my thanks I wrote Mary, “That’s a card!” and asked if we might publish her message (sans the Jodee part :) “Yes!” she wrote back in surprise and delight. “I feel like I’ve won the lottery! This is such an exciting development. I’m thrilled. Yes!” Five minutes later a follow-up email arrived, “In my happy haste, I neglected to say I’d like to dedicate the card to my husband, Larry.” Ok, I thought, “Who says, ‘In my happy haste?’ I love this clever cardie!”

Publishing Mary’s “blessings” message was a turning point for Cardthartic, and a blessing indeed. Pre-Mary, all our messages either came from me or through me (as in a friend or family member said something I sensed belonged in a card). Woohoo, post-Mary, we began to tap the talent of this very community.

In the six years since, more and more of the cards you’ve come to know and love have been written by fellow cardies, including a whopping 21 more messages by Mary! She inspired us to create this submission form that cardies can use, some will send card-worthy lines in emails to their Fairy Cardmother, others post messages like gold to be found in the Comments section of these newsletters.

This is all to remind you that you are a master of honoring emotions. With the Thanksgiving messages you pen, you can beautifully do just as Mary did: Sit back and reflect on the person you’re writing to, then thoughtfully acknowledge the blessings they bring to your life. Take those blessings in all over again and, along the way, enjoy!

“Cards by Cardies for Cardies.” Not a day goes by that I don’t marvel at your collective eloquence. And appreciate Mary. 😉

Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative