Earlier, I had posted a blog about writing love letters. It reminded me of the greeting cards I’ve saved throughout the years. If I had love letters, trust me, they’d be saved.
As I began cleaning out ‘stuff’ to move, I came across a box with greeting cards I’ve saved over the years. I compiled them all into a box, and wrote a note on the outside to my sons who will one day have to go through that box. (*Maybe) The cards represent the many people who have loved, or cared for me, for one reason or another.
They go back as far as my early adult years—starting with wedding congratulations, high school graduation cards, and college graduation cards. (I graduated as an adult with children.)
Also included are “welcome new baby cards,” homemade/purchased birthday cards, and wedding anniversary cards. Oh, of course I have a multitude of ❤ Valentine’s Day ❤ cards. I have many from my best friend—who is still my best friend. I have funny, sad, and photo cards. Of course, you can’t live a life without sympathy cards involved, too.
This isn’t to say I’ve saved every single card I’ve ever received.
One in particular stands out. A handmade card that came straight from someone I knew in prison. The card is absolutely gorgeous, and was created by an artist who made cards for inmates—an inmate himself.
My goal has always been to make a large collage out of those cards that show me as 
a wife—an ex-wife once and a widow another time. Therefore, I have step-mom cards from my second marriage. Cards that show me as a mom, aunt, niece, sister, friend, teacher. Many are from people who have passed away.
I told my youngest son if I made them into a collage, he could show it at my funeral instead of making a photo board. Of course, if they do make a photo board, I’d instruct them to add all my book covers. 🙂 That’s a big part of my life so I believe it would be necessary. Do you agree?
Everyone can look at my sexy cowboys and maybe not be sad because I died. I might be off to cowboy Heaven for all I know.
This collage is a visual in my head. It might be on a big poster board, or maybe something sturdier. I’d cut out the reason for the card, be it mom, wife, etc. Then, I’d cut out who the card was from and add it beside the title of the card. I’ve loved creating photo collages for a long time, so this would be easy and fun. After the collage was finished, it could be laminated so it’d last. Depending on how it was made, it could even go into a frame. I know there are sites online where you can do Scrapbooking. Maybe I could also do a collage online instead. It isn’t like I have time to scan all those cards, though.
Why bother? The collage would be more important to me than anyone else, so after I was gone, they could trash it along with the funeral flowers if they chose.
My youngest son and his girlfriend recently helped me get my storage tubs and smaller items moved before my movers came for the heavy load. I showed my boy’s girlfriend the box of cards. Her reaction surprised me…
Her grandmother had recently passed away and she told me that she and her family had to go through every card, letter, and pieces of old, saved mail, etc., and trash it all. “No one will want to go through that stuff,” she said. In reality, she’s right because as I said, the cards are more important to me. *Hmm, on some cold winter day, I’ll create the collage for myself. No harm in letting it hang on the wall for a time. If I get sick of looking at it, the Dumpster is right down at the end of my parking lot.
What do you do with Greeting Cards?
- Do you save all of your greeting cards?
- Are you choosier about the ones you do save?
- Do you save them at all?
- For a long time?
- A short time?
Is it just me?
My son says I’m weird. Does this make me “weird”?
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Thanks for stopping by today. 🙂
Moving Van Photo: http://morguefile.com/, Greeting Card #1 Photo credit: © Retro Clipart | Dreamstime.com, Greeting Card #2 Photo credit: © Vladimir Ovchinnikov | Dreamstime.com
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel 
19 thoughts on “Greeting Card Overload Equals A Lifetime Of Memories”
Pingback: Tuesday Inspiration for the Muse: Why I Bought Myself a Greeting Card & Much More | Author Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
siobhandaiko
I meant I keep the letters. It would look really weird if I displayed them, hahaha!
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siobhandaiko
I only used to save the ones that meant a lot to me. Now, however, with the spread of e-cards, I do tend to keep more of them, especially Christmas cards, as I love to display them during the Festive Season. The same with letters. S x
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Siobhan, nowadays, I don’t save as many as I did. Here’s a secret. Well, not anymore since I’m telling the world. 🙂 My son’s girlfriend knows I used to tour and photograph lighthouses. My state has more than any other state in my country so it took a while, plus I went to other bordering states. For my birthday last June she gave me a card with lighthouses on the front. I knew when I moved I’d have a subtle nautical theme in my bathroom. I put that card into a 5×7 frame and it sits on my vanity. So what if it says Happy Birthday at the top. It fits. It goes perfect with my “at dusk” beach scene photo hanging in that room. (That photo was the reason for the whole theme.)
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siobhandaiko
Sounds perfect! 🙂
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catherinewolffe53
Your post made me stop. I’m here to say, Mary, I got the same response from my youngest son and his wife. While all these cards I saved over the years allow me to remember those good times, they apparently upset those who can’t recall those memories. I love your idea about making a collage. I have a client who keeps all the tiny love notes her husband sent her in a heart shaped glass box on her dresser. So romantic. I say go for it. It’s your life and I promise you one day, someone in the family will ask you about the effort. They may just be curious, but the sentiment you can pass along is that you cherished the small moments in life. A beautiful legacy.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Wow, Catherine, now that you put it that way “a beautiful legacy” it has a whole new prospective. I’ll definitely go for it.
I have a pink notebook with hearts ❤ on the cover filled with notes back and forth with my second husband from when we worked different shifts. It holds both good and bad memories. For now it's put away where I can't see it. While consolidating my things to move, I read a little of it and it was hard. Most of it covered the good times.
Thanks for commenting. You opened my eyes about hanging on to the cards a bit longer. The collage is in sight. 🙂
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catherinewolffe53
Glad I could help. Memories don’t have to be big to be good. Sometimes the small things can be just as important. Hugs to you!
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
So true, Catherine. Thank you.
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teagan geneviene
I agree with Catherine. Hugs to you both. 🙂 ❤
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catherinewolffe53
Thanks, Teagan. 🙂
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Mary Ann
I save all the Christmas cards we get that have pictures on them. I hope to make a scrapbook out of it someday. I like your idea of a collage, but I bet it would be huge. After my mom passed away, I tossed some of the letters that her sister sent to her, but now I wished I would have kept them. I was just feeling guilty about throwing them away the other day, but then I think if I don’t throw them away, one of my kids will have to do it someday and why make more work for them. Plus, I don’t want to be a hoarder! I don’t think you’re weird for keeping your cards. It’s nice to see someone’s handwriting from a long time ago especially when they’re not with us any more.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Hi, Mary Ann. With my card collage, I know it would be large, and that’s why I’d cut out the top of the card or what I could for the reason, Mom, aunt, sister, etc., and add who it was from to it. I think that would be my only choice, or it might be half a wall! LOL.
I, too, have thrown away things I wish I’d kept.
My aunt would save her Christmas cards and use the front of them the next year as tags for Christmas gifts. Only the ones that had a space for her to write names on, though. I did that for a while too. My aunt and uncle were like parents to me, so to see their handwriting now always brings a smile to my face. ❤ Thank you for stopping by to read my post.
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Mary Ann
I like the idea of using old Christmas cards as gift tags. Your collage would make a great blog post. Let us know if you work on or finish your collage.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I will definitely let you know, Mary Ann. My winter project!
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teagan geneviene
I think it’s a lovely idea Mary. I don’t get many (and fewer each year), but sometimes I make little boxes from the cards — the box top from the front of the card, and the box bottom from the back. Who the card is from gets enclosed in the folds of the box bottom. Part of the cover design makes the box top. Eventually I ran into the problem of having tiny boxes scattered all over the house. 😉
Thank you for this and for all your posts. Happy Labor Day.
Mega hugs my friend.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I’m glad you think so, Teagan. Your idea is nice and I bet cute, but too much to move around for dusting. 🙂 Or, maybe that’s just me being weird too. Happy Labor Day to you.
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teagan geneviene
Yep re the dusting. I put them into one of those big clear glass things — sometimes you see them with Christmas ornaments in them… Hugs.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Ah ha! Great idea, Teagan.
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