Are you one of those? You know…one of those greeting card people? I think you know the kind I’m talking about. The ones who say: “I just have to pick up a few birthday cards. I’ll be back in 5 minutes!” Then they leave someone waiting patiently (or maybe not so patiently) in the car while trying to find that perfect greeting card among thousands at the local stationery store.

That’s when it hits you – all of those choices! Should I pick birthday cards with balloons or gift packages? Flowers or scenic views? What about the verse? Simply stated? Humorous or serious? Maybe I shouldn’t get a verse and just go for one of those blank greeting cards. That would be more personal, no? I’m sure I could come up with something intelligent to say, or is there some level of poetic genius expected? Oh and I almost forgot, I need to pick up business birthday cards for a few people I work with. This could take some time.

After much thought, I decide to play it safe and go with the brightest, most colorful birthday cards I could find with simply stated verses. Nice contrast I thought. Wait a minute, what do I see here? A greeting card sale! I must have missed that on the way in. I can’t pass up a sale on greeting cards, now can I? Back to the drawing board I go.

In the meantime, approximately 30 minutes later and counting, my significant other is still waiting or is that him stomping through the entrance? He just doesn’t get it. Choosing the right personalized birthday cards is not easy. I need to convey the right message to the right person in the right way. It could make or break a friendship and possibly means the world to the person that receives it! So I admit, I lied when I said I’d be back in 5 minutes. I suppose I should also admit that I too am one of those.

I recently purchased stamps from the USPS so that I could mail out business birthday cards for my company, and there was an interesting quote from John Adams on my receipt:

“Let us dare to read, think, speak and write.”
John Adams, 1765

This quote got me to thinking how nice it would be to write a personal note on all of the birthday cards I send out. Every employee enjoys receiving that special card to help celebrate their birthday. Would it mean more to them to include a handwritten note in their greeting cards telling them how much they are appreciated? After all, John Adams said “Dare to think, speak and write,” so I decided to give it a try to see the response.

One of the next upcoming birthday cards that I had to send was Melody’s. How original can I be? She is so creative that my idea could backfire, but I decided to write her a poem. Melody was so touched and surprised that I took the time to personalize her birthday card. Maybe it is a small step and surely not the type of writing that John Adams meant, but it certainly got me thinking and made Melody happy. Next in line…Dolly and Lauren! I am sure I can have fun with what I will write in their birthday cards.

I am sure John Adams had more on his mind with his quote, but isn’t making someone happy on their birthday just as important as writing an epoch? That may be going a little overboard but you can never tell, all this thinking about what to say may get me to writing the next great American novel.

The subject of windpower greeting cards got me wondering about whether or not people think about eco-friendly production of greeting cards. When you get business greeting cards or even personalized birthday cards for that matter, do you immediately wonder about the green aspects of their production? Personally, my first thoughts are “What a nice surprise! What thoughtful people sent me greeting cards?” I usually open and close the greeting card a couple of times to repeat the pleasure of seeing its (usually) attractive face and reading its (hopefully) pleasant text. I don’t usually check the back of the greeting cards for an eco-friendly symbol unless the senders add a lengthy message.

It’s certainly great to use recycled paper but from a personal standpoint, I tend to have more concern for business birthday cards produced with windpower. I can “go ape” on the subject of the eco-friendly production of electricity versus the diminishment of limited-supply, pollution-producing fossil fuels. I believe my passion on the subject began because I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where hydropower at Niagara Falls has for so long been used to provide abundant and inexpensive electricity.

Because I grew up intrigued by the thought of harnessing the power of flowing rivers and ocean currents, I progressed quite naturally into wondering why there weren’t more windmills built to harness all of that amazing power in the sky. I have been delighted in recent years to see the development of windpower in the production of electricity. When I had the unexpected occasion to drive past a stretch of modern windmills, I was struck by the graceful beauty they presented.

All of this is leading up to tell you how proud I feel to know that my company, The Gallery Collection, is making increasing use of this automatically-replenished natural resource. The paper stock used in the majority of our greeting cards is manufactured in facilities driven by windpower, and our headquarters here in New Jersey also runs on windpower. Hmm…I wonder if my tiny backyard could hold a wind turbine and generator.

My vivacious grandmother, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday last November, kept a busy social calendar. In the Roaring Twenties-era storage trunks that she secured with worn brown leather belts – buckle and all – I recently came across a set of her beloved scrapbooks, which she had begun in high school and continued to fill throughout her life. What struck me was that in each book, amid the newspaper clippings, letters, and photographs that meant so much to her, she had dedicated several pages to personal birthday cards that had been given to her and that she especially treasured.

As attractive as these assorted birthday cards were, I knew this wasn’t why she had held onto the greeting cards. She was touched by how the birthday cards were personalized. All of the birthday cards were inscribed with a loving, handwritten message from one of her friends or family members. “A friend no finer could I find; while I’m no poet, I hope you love me enough not to mind…” reads one in flowing script. Another, from her father, expresses how proud he is of the “strong and resolute young lady” she has become. I found a few poignant business birthday cards from coworkers, one of whom wished her “a birthday as gorgeous and inspiring as you are,” this in the midst of Grandma Tjo’s grueling cancer treatments.

For most of these greeting cards, it likely took the senders only a minute or two to write good wishes to my grandmother. I wish they all knew what that meant to her.

I enjoy working for a company that makes business get well cards and other types of greeting cards, but there comes a time when every person needs a break from her job. Finally, a vacation! After a year of not going anywhere except occasionally to upstate New York, I decided it was time that I kick up my heels on a sandy, warm beach in the Caribbean and forget about my work in the world of corporate greeting cards for a week. I decided it best to go at the end of winter, my least favorite season, to rejuvenate myself and try to regain that healthy glow I once had months prior. April seemed like the perfect time. Everything was planned, my vacation days were approved, and I was ready to go! But in the hullabaloo of preparation and excitement, I forgot to tell one person that I would be out of the office…an outside business vendor.

It didn’t even cross my mind that I had forgotten to mention my vacation to Holly, my off-site vendor whom I speak to almost daily on the phone, until I came home. I was rested, tanned and relaxed, trying to catch up on “real life” by going through my mail at home. I came across a few envelopes for greeting cards, which I assumed were for my upcoming birthday. We often exchange business birthday cards with our vendors so I thought the envelope with the Kansas return address contained a birthday card from Holly. Instead, when I opened the envelope I found a beautiful get well card. “A get well card? Who is sick?” I wondered to myself. I opened up the greeting card and found it was addressed to me! Normally, I’d be touched to receive get well cards from colleagues or vendors but since I wasn’t ill, I was a bit confused. The message inside the greeting card read:

Dear Janine,

I have not received any calls from you in a week, and figured you were out of the office. At first I thought you were on vacation, but knew you would’ve told me, and assumed that you were sick. I hope you feel better and are back at the office soon!

- Holly

Now what was I to do in this situation? I thought it strange to assume someone is sick, but her action of sending me a get well greeting card was really thoughtful, even if unwarranted. I was stuck. Should I play it off like I really was under the weather to save her the embarrassment? Should I be truthful and apologize for forgetting to tell her? I returned to work the following day and showed my coworkers the beautiful greeting cards I received. I thought it best to tell Holly the truth, and we both had a good laugh. The next time I take off from work, I’ll be sure to remember to notify Holly and save us both the embarrassment!

Business birthday cards let you share inspiring messages with employees, coworkers, and customers on their special days. Keeping a variety of business birthday cards on file at your desk means you’re always prepared with perfect greeting cards whenever you may need one. Taking that extra step by sending greeting cards to people you work with could turn out to be a vital part to your company’s success and retention of employees and vendors.

Everyone wants to know that their clients and associates are thinking of them. Exchanging greeting cards is an easy and unique way to stay in touch with these valued individuals. If you keep assorted birthday cards on hand at work you will always be ready to send greeting cards when the occasion comes along. To stay organized, I keep a simple spreadsheet with all of my Gallery Collection coworkers’ and vendors’ birthdays listed, so that at a glance I know when to send out corporate birthday cards or any type of greeting cards.

After I select greeting cards for each person, I write a short but personal message. Sending out birthday cards to people you know gives them a reason to pause and think for a few minutes about the person who sent the greeting card. When they receive the birthday cards and realize you have been thinking about them, it helps to nurture that relationship, whether it is personal or business related.