Do people who receive get well cards actually recover faster than those who suffer in solitude? Proponents of positive thinking would agree that well wishes and greeting cards from the world outside the sickroom can’t help but have a healing effect. When I’m not feeling well, even if it’s only a temporary state, it’s easy to fall into an “invalid mode,” moping about in a weakened state and feeling left out of life as though I’ll never again be myself. So, when a delightful dose of sunshine comes to me via greeting cards in my mailbox, it’s amazing how my spirits and attitude get a burst of good energy.
Some get well cards will make you laugh, even though it may hurt to laugh; for instance, right after surgery. Some greeting cards can be so touching to you that they give you “misty” eyes. The best may be those greeting cards whose pretty designs cause you to smile every time you glance at them, because the greeting cards bring to mind the kind and thoughtful people who sent them. You could even get all three of those reactions from a single get well card sent from an unexpected source.
When I’m unable to say “Get Well Soon” to a person with a chronic or terminal illness, I will still send a gentle-looking greeting card that says “Thinking of You.” I hope the greeting card helps them feel less isolated by knowing that I remember them and care about their situation. Even friends who are “sick at heart” over personal setbacks can use pleasant notecards to point them toward a brighter day. My rule of thumb is to ask myself, “Would I like to be thought about when I’m away from social action?” (Of course I do!) “Do I want to answer the door or the phone to visitors?’ (Oh my goodness, NO!) “Would get well cards make me feel better?” (You bet it would!) And then I go ahead and do just what I planned to all along…I send the cheeriest greeting cards I can find!