P.S. Write back

I love greeting cards. Ridiculously so. I have a box of cards that I won't send to anyone because I like them too much. I have two other boxes of cards to send to people, in part due to an annual card sale that I attend with a crew of like-minded greeting card lovers. It's a bit of madness that strikes us as we walk through the doors of the Paper E Clips warehouse, and start scavenging for our favourite card lines and styles. I am an absolute sucker for letterpress. One of my fave card lines is Mr. Boddington. These cards are seriously gorgeous! I've also been a long time lover of Koco New York. The quotes on these cards tend to be well-selected, and the accompanying art work, is just that: art. Because I love words, Quotable Cards are also a standout for me. And, for a bit of irreverence: junkmail.

I met three of my favourite girlfriends working at Athena, a store that sold greeting cards, posters and art prints. We bonded over crazy customer experiences (like the kid who started to pee on our carpet), and eventually, the trials and tribulations of our own lives. It's now been more than 15 years since we met, and we're still going strong. All of us continue to have a strong appreciation for cards, formed oh so many years ago as we excitedly opened new shipments. While we've stopped exchanging presents on special occasions, the cards continue to go strong.  And, I don't think I'm the only one who re-reads the messages within.

In a way, I think of a shared love for greeting cards as bringing some people who are very near and dear to my heart into my life as well. The one bright spot at my grandpa's funeral was re-connecting with my cousin (I never get this right, but our grandpas were brothers, and thus our moms are cousins) Trevor and his lovely wife Winnie. As we chatted, I asked them what they did, and it turned out that they were involved in selling and designing greeting cards! I knew we were collectively meant to be. Since that bleak day, we've continued to bond. It turns out our shared love of cards was just the beginning of our similarities. We love shopping marathons, children's books, and eating bacon with maple syrup (that's me and Trev - Win would not partake in such a weird thing). Winnie and Trevor (and their beautiful kids) came into my life during a truly bleak time. My grandpa, who was a truly bright light was gone, but fittingly he brought a younger generation of his family together.

While I can't imagine my life without Google (well, except for the first two decades, which were actually without Google), I sometimes bemoan the fact that e-mail has become the preferred mode of communication. E-mail just doesn't compare to a handwritten note. I for one look forward to checking the mail each day, hoping that amidst the bills, there will be a piece of personal mail.