My twelve-year-old was doing a report on sheep. As I read it over (she is still at the stage where I am allowed to see her work), it struck me that the word “carding” took on a different meaning for me.

Technically the term carding means to cleanse, disentangle, and collect together (as fibers) by the use of cards preparatory to spinning. When I thought of the hundreds of times I sent greeting cards for one occasion or another, I realized that I was carding too.

Get well cards are an attempt to “cleanse” a person of illness. Similar to prayers, they help the sender to express a wish for recovery, and at the same time help the recipient to feel cleansed and refreshed in the knowledge that someone cares.

Sympathy cards help us to disentangle some of the emotions that explode upon us in times of trial. Even if it is just for a moment, they take our thoughts to a different place – a place where we can reflect upon the thoughtfulness of others and feel some semblance of peace.

Birthday cards gather together all of the fun and joy of celebrating most everyone’s favorite day.

Finally, I thought, these greeting cards are also preparation for spinning the thread that will become the story – the story of recovery, moving on, or subsequent birthdays for all of the people who are remembered with the greeting cards in their lives.

Business birthday cards are a great way to bring a little bit of sunshine to the recipient. Every year I look forward to receiving the company birthday cards that I know are waiting for me when I come into work. Since I have been with The Gallery Collection, I have gathered eight years worth. I haven’t been able to part with them. I enjoy pulling them out every now and again, still getting a chuckle when I read some of the messages from my friends and colleagues. Now some people are happy to have just one birthday, but I however, have two. How can that be you might ask? Let me explain…

I was born February 10th (the year is not important), or so I was led to believe. I even have my hospital birth certificate to prove it – footprints and all! So imagine my surprise when I went to City Hall to obtain a copy of my legal birth certificate, only to find that I was celebrating the wrong date of birth. The clerk asked me to write down my name, mother and fathers names, and my birth date, which I dutifully did. She went into another room and a little while later, came back with a huge black binder. Not only did she have this big black book in tow, she also had a very stern look on her face. I was only 14 at the time, so I was scared to death. I wasn’t sure what I could have done to warrant that look.

The clerk looked at me with this accusatory look and said that I had written the wrong date. I said, “No, I really was born on February 10th.” “No,” she said, “You were born on February 11th!” She then proceeded to shove the book in front of me and pointed to the birth date. It did indeed read February 11th and below that in what was clearly my mother’s handwriting was her signature. So much for proofreading!

Of course, I went home with my copy of the legal birth certificate and immediately handed it to my mother. My poor Mom was flabbergasted to say the least. From that day forward, I have had to use the 11th as my legal birth date. Mom was having none of that and refused to give me my birthday cards on any other day but the 10th. I used to explain this to anyone that would ask me when my birthday was. Now I just give them my legal birth date and let it go at that. However, when any of my family members ask me which date I plan to celebrate, I always answer with the following – “Both, of course!”

We all realize that businesses are trying to save money now more than ever. With that being said, we must also find ways to bring some joy to the customers and workforces that are hanging in there with us and working for a better tomorrow.

Sending business birthday cards is one way to celebrate with business associates and employees that won’t break the bank. Everyone loves being remembered and respected. Whether a million dollar client, a young growing client, your CEO, or the high school kid in the mailroom is the recipient of the birthday card, your business will have earned the reputation of one that really cares.

The ripple effect of simple gestures like sending birthday cards is incalculable. Having worked for companies that did and companies that didn’t send business birthday cards, I do have a point of view on the subject. The difference it makes is in the subtle lift in the attitude of how you or your company is perceived by the recipient. As with all good gestures, the other benefit is that it also makes the sender feel good.

Your business birthday cards will help your business, but making sure they are green will help the world. Why not make a good thing better by ensuring that your purchase is from a company that is looking toward the future. In this day and age, most people do turn the card over to see if it is made with environmental awareness. Broaden your benevolence by including the saving of our planet.

Here is a plan I came up with that will surely keep your name in good with your bosses. The title of the plan is Birthday cards for Business Use. I think the idea has a great deal of merit, and it will only take a little of bit of effort on your part. It is essential when making a plan that you keep a list of what is needed. You can use old birthday cards to write lists on the back of them…this will keep you focused on your goal.

First, at the top of a birthday card, write your goal. Second, list the people who you would like to look favorably on you. This is essential as you cannot leave off anybody who is in a higher position or works for the higher person or is likely to mention that you sent business birthday cards to some and will be jealous that they didn’t get one.

Next, you must establish when the important birthdays are. This can be accomplished by casually mentioning your zodiac sign to the human resources people and by speculating on what signs your bosses are. Or perhaps, you can start a conversation with one of the higher ups and mention that you thought he had a birthday coming up. Or you could just ask someone in Human Resources point blank when so and so’s birthday is. Of course, you’ll have to explain that you are planning to send a birthday cards to these people and then they may expect you to add them to the list and then…hmmm.

Ok, this is the new plan. Put a suggestion in the suggestion box that everyone in the company would probably like to receive business birthday cards from their co-workers and wouldn’t it be nice if the company ordered some appropriate cards and someone could be in charge of seeing that the cards are signed and sent out. This will probably become your job, since you made the suggestion. Goal accomplished. Your name is in front of the bosses, everybody thinks you’re a nice person, and all you have to do is send out a birthday card every once in a while.

My friends’ son Evan recently turned two years old.  It feels like just yesterday I was holding him as a newborn.  It’s amazing how time flies!

Evan’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends all gathered for a birthday party, where we showered him with food, presents, and personalized birthday cards.  His parents helped him carefully look at the greeting cards before letting him tear through the pile of gifts.  My friends like to keep all of the greeting cards given to their son so he can look at them when he’s older and see how much everyone loves him.  They even keep the little paper holder I make to accompany the cash gift my husband and I always give him “For the College Fund.”  They want Evan to appreciate the thoughtful sentiments extended to him, and greeting cards are perfect for showing that affection.

I also hold on to my greeting cards for sentimental value (and because I tend to be a pack rat!).  I don’t go through the greeting cards very often but when I do it’s entertaining.  The collection of birthday cards, thank you cards, Christmas cards, wedding invitations and other various greeting cards is almost like a time capsule, bringing me back to a particular year and evoking memories of what I was doing at that point in my life.  Much like photographs, greeting cards have the ability to capture moments in time.

During Evan’s birthday party, we of course took plenty of photos to capture that particular moment in time.  When he is older, I bet it will be interesting for him to go through all of the birthday cards, Christmas cards and other assorted greeting cards that were given to him over the years.  And the older he gets, he’ll likely come to realize how fast time goes by just like the rest of us!

There was an old lady who sent a birthday card to an old friend. However, her writing was shaky and the birthday card was delivered to a man who was in a bad way. He was alone and had lost his job. He was very depressed, but when he opened the envelope, he began to think about things. Even though the birthday card had reached him in error, he started to remember how important his friends and family were to him. How they always sent him personalized birthday cards each year and showed their love in so many ways. He realized what the really important things are in life.

He decided to see if he could locate the sender of the birthday card and tell her that she had the wrong address on it. He thought it would be a nice gesture. He hopped on his computer and found the phone number of the old lady. She was so grateful, and to tell the truth, so happy to be talking to someone that she kept on talking long after the information had been exchanged. At one point she said, “You sound so much like my late husband’s great nephew, and your name is Tom just like his.” She hadn’t heard from Tom in many years.

Well I think you know what came next. There was a joyful reunion for two lonely people. And by the way, eventually the birthday card did get to the right person. The moral of this story is sending birthday cards or performing any other kind gesture is like bouncing a ball: it will surely come back with vigor to the hand that held it.

This year, my twin brother and I hit a significant milestone…the big 3-0! Some people hate getting older and dread the attention that often comes with this sort of milestone birthday, but I’m cool with it. As the old cliché goes, age is just a number, right? Besides, birthdays are perfect excuses to have fun with friends and family…and be showered with gifts and personalized birthday cards…and eat!

I usually wind up celebrating my birthday for an extended period of time. It’s not that I clamor for the attention – in fact, I hate being in the limelight! That’s just the way it works out with the different plans that are made. This year was no exception.

The festivities started a week before my actual birthday when my husband and I threw a party at our house. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and it was an absolutely gorgeous day. It being our 30th birthday, my mom wanted to do something special in honor of my brother and I, so she displayed a poster board collage of photos from our younger days. She even attached one of our baby photos to wine bottles as favors for our guests. My sister, the jokester that she is, gave me a gift bag full of various items – 30 to be exact, and all of them pink! Even the birthday card she gave me was pink. You see, when my twin brother and I were younger, we were of course clothed in blue and pink respectively. After years of having the color pink forced upon me, I rebelled and refused to wear it!

The next week brought more fun activities, as well as mailed birthday cards from friends and family who live farther away. At work, my department brought in delicious goodies, beautiful flowers, and business birthday cards for me to enjoy. Then my real birthday finally came! My husband and I met up with three of our closest friends to go to a Global Green Expo at Liberty State Park. All of us are environmentally conscious and we enjoyed seeing the different exhibits and demonstrations. That night, we also went out for dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant. We rounded out the weekend with yet another birthday party at my grandparents’ house, where we also celebrated Orthodox Easter (my dad’s side of the family is Russian Orthodox).

As a birthday present to myself, I decided to take two days off from work to relax and do whatever I please! After finally cleaning up the last of the lingering aftermath from our party the weekend before, sloth was the name of the game: I lounged on the couch, watched TV, read a book and did mostly nothing. I also treated myself to a massage, which was bliss!

Alas, all good things must come to an end and it was time for me to go back to work and return to my normal routine. I’m a few pounds heavier from all the wonderful food I indulged in, but all in all it was a fantastic birthday. It felt good to receive so many birthday cards, some of the greeting cards filled with money or gift cards (nice!) And I still have one more birthday gift to enjoy: my best friend is taking me to a glassblowing class in a few weeks, so I guess my birthday will be extended just a bit longer!

My birthday is quickly approaching and the excitement is starting to build as the cards start trickling in. Imagine my confusion last week when I opened a card with no return address and noticed the cover said “Congratulations!” I am not celebrating anything other than my birthday, so I pondered what kind of person would send congratulations cards in place of birthday cards?

After staring blankly at the greeting card while wracking my brain trying to figure out what might possibly be the reason for the arbitrary congratulations, I decided to open it and discover which of my friends, at the ripe old age of 28, had already started losing their marbles. As I opened the card, a twenty dollar bill fluttered out onto the floor. I read the obligatory swirly congratulatory greeting that wished me the best today and always, and then noticed the card had no signature at the bottom. After thinking about it for another few minutes, I pocketed the money in true birthday spirit, randomly tossed the card aside and quickly forgot about it.

After a seemingly endless commute home a few days ago, I started up my normal after-work routine – let the dog out, water the plants, start dinner, check the mail for birthday cards. While going through the pile of mail I noticed an identical envelope to the one I had received last week. I hurriedly tore it open in the hopes of receiving another anonymous contribution to my birthday fund and discovered a congratulations card identical to the one I received last week! A signature from my dentist appeared at the bottom, along with a note congratulating me on having no cavities and sincerely apologizing for the blank card previously sent by his new assistant with no explanation. Dr. Rocco also mentioned the need to reorder more birthday cards and blank cards for any occasion, and requested that I remind my husband of his dentist appointment on Friday at 2:30. Who would have thought you could get $20 for no cavities? But as it turns out, a second note appeared in the card…I did not need to contribute my co-pay amount this time around. Oops!

I had never considered myself a creative, crafty person. But years ago, I was planning a party for my daughter’s 2nd birthday. I wanted to have party decorations and favors. With entertainment funds low, I went through my collection of “rainy day stuck in the house when we’re really bored this stuff will have a use” box. In there I found material scraps not big enough to make anything with…feather boas, lace, ribbons, and about 12 small stuffed teddy bears that I bought for ten cents each at a clearance sale, plus many jars of various shapes and sizes. That box also contained numerous personalized greeting cards that I had saved because the pictures were so pretty.

The box held birthday cards, thank you cards, holiday cards, and a few note cards that a charity had sent me in the mail. (Yes, I did send a donation!) I set everything out on the kitchen table and thought, “There has to be a party here somewhere!” I left out all of the pieces for a while, wondering what I would do. I’d look and walk away, look and walk away…hoping to have an epiphany. This went on for a couple of hours and finally the light bulb went off!

Girls love teddy bears, boas, ribbons and lace. I took a bear and gingerly pulled off its head, arms, and legs (It was more painful for me than him, I assure you). I took out my hot glue gun and attached the head to the lid of a jar. Then I placed the arms on the sides of the jar. And lastly, I glued the legs to the sides near the bottom of the jar. I shaped pieces of material into a party hat trimmed with ribbon and lace and wrapped a boa around the bear’s neck. My creation was really starting to look great!

Next, I took some of the birthday cards and thank you cards and cut out the words “thank you” and “happy birthday.” I glued the text to toothpicks and placed the signs in the bear’s hands.

I filled the jars with wrapped candies, and each girl who came to the party left with a teddy bear jar. These made the most memorable party favors. After the party, I got so many compliments on the favors that I started making clown jars and giving them as gifts.

I no longer need a “rainy day box” but I do still save my greeting cards in another crafty creation. Using a cardboard shoe box, I cut and pasted the fronts of birthday cards and thank you cards onto the box. The greeting cards turned a plain old box into a beautiful storage container. I even store my photos in these homemade greeting cards boxes, too.

Anyone need a jar?

At a glance, the subject of business birthday cards probably strikes you as pretty dry and boring. It probably did for me, too…if I had stopped to think about it, which I’m pretty sure I hadn’t. Then I saw something really creative that captured my attention in an upbeat way.

I had gone to a friend’s office to meet him for lunch. A red, white, blue and gold birthday card was posted on the bulletin board just outside his door. Since my friend’s birthday was in January and my luncheon visit was in July, nosey me tipped open the birthday card to look inside. Inside of the birthday card below a handwritten “Dear Jeff,” was a Happy Birthday greeting, and below that, in all capital letters, it read, “Happy Birthday, America!” Below that, a company name was imprinted, plus a little handwritten note and signature. Of course I had to ask for Jeff to tell me more.

It seems this birthday card was sent by a business associate with whom Jeff has had many political debates, usually ending in agreement to disagree. I have always known my friend to be a politically minded and very patriotic guy. He described his business associate in much the same way, except for holding views about 180 degrees from Jeff’s. The handwritten note said, “I may not be very good at sending birthday cards and remembering the birthday of each person who I know and respect, but I know we’re all proud to celebrate this very important birthday.”

What a classy gesture!