To Say You Really Care...

I understand just as well as the next person that today we are all busy. Busy with jobs, kids, cleaning, laundry...you get the idea. But something that I have thought about on more than one occasion is that with all the technological advances to make thinks easier, we have lost out on that personal touch. I get emails daily, as most of us do. But I am now getting birthday party invites for my son in my inbox. I recently had a childhood friend get married and send a mass invite to the wedding by posting a bulletin on myspace. A friend told me of a funny card that they saw while waiting to be seated at Cracker Barrel. She said, "It was the funniest thing, I wish you could have seen it!" and it shocked me that it was a card she was talking about, but the thought of actually sending it so I could have seen it never even flickered across her mind. This entire techno world makes me a little sad. It is always better to receive a call from my husband, who is at work, to see how my day is going rather than a forwarded email. I know of several of my Facebook friends that have regular conversations with their spouses right there online..for the entire world to witness. No they aren't saying anything offensive or private, but that is the point, it isn't at all private. The most mundane conversations, "What are we having for dinner?" "Did you wash my work shirt?" and they opt not to pick up a phone. I understand that sometime we really are too busy to pick up a phone and dropping a line online is much faster, but there is a definate difference between genuinely busy and not wanting to put forth the effort. This last weekend they were running the movie from the 90s, The Love Letter, and I liked it for the simple fact that it shows the impact that a tangible letter can have! I have tried to make it a habit of every so often sending a random friend a card. I might stick in a little something for fun like a girlie ink pen or a lip gloss, but often I just send a card with a message from me. Think right now, truly try to imagine how it would make you feel if tomorrow you got your mail and there was a card or letter from a friend. No special occasion, not your birthday, they don't expect anything in return, just a reminder that they were thinking about you and cared enough to go to the trouble of letting you know. Don't get me wrong I am a modern girl! I like my cell phone, pay at the pump, and the internet (obviously), so I am gonna make this one super easy for you. Simply go to the below link and follow the instructions to send someone a free card in the mail....and I am talking to their actual mailbox not inbox. These cards are super cute and you can even add a picture if you like. Don't forget to personalize the message. Checkout and enter the promo code SENDHOPE and the card is free. They make it, address it, and even provide the stamp and send it to the recipient. All you have to do is take the time to order it. The entire process took me about 2 mins and they do NOT require you to enter your credit card number or any other form of payment. These are not sample cards and will not say "free cards online" or anything cheesy. You would normally have to pay if you didn't have the promo code. They only allow one promo code use per person, so make sure you are sending it to someone who deserves it! Go now...make someones day!

One free personalized hope card when promo code SENDHOPE is entered at checkout:

http://corporate.cardstore.com/special-offers.shtml