“Happy ‘whatever’ and good luck!”
Photo by Richard Moross
I admit it: My greeting card messages are usually that lame. Every time I try to write something in a card, my brain shuts down and my spirit goes numb. I know it’s the thought that counts, and that’s what worries me: There are barely any coherent thoughts at all in my cards.
My first mistake is writing the first line (in pen) before deciding what to write next. Backed into a corner, I try to write my way out of it with a witty observation that, upon second reading, comes across as either mean-spirited or totally bizarre. So I end up overcompensating with a flowery ending so artificial it would make Martha Stewart wince.
So far I’ve come up with one solution. A few months ago, I learned that my grandfather, who passed away recently, carefully drafted his messages before writing them in cards. In fact, my grandmother saved some of these drafts and showed them to me. It was touching—and maybe a little funny—to see all the crossed-out lines and rewordings for something as simple as a Christmas card greeting. Now I find myself doing the same thing.
Creating a draft is certainly one way to avoid writing the same uninspired words in every card. Answers user Stephanie has also suggested some helpful websites, while mitchell2020 has several good recommendations, including coming up with a standard greeting that can be changed slightly for each card.
Do you have any suggestions for ways to enliven a greeting card message?
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think about the people you love, if you get inspired or think something cool make a note of it, store it in your email folders or something and refer to it when you want to find the right words. Inspiration rarely hits me under pressure so that is what works for me.
I think it’s better to buy cards with nothing on the inside. Then you’re obligated to take a few minutes to think about what you’re going to write. It seems more thoughtful and let’s face it…most people skip over the corny lines that are already printed on the card.
personalize each card with a memory of something shared
What I do, is try and think of the person/persons, to whom I’m sending the card, listen to what the spirit in my soul has to say, and go from there..
I actually have the opposite problem: I ten to write amazing and touching cards/letters (or that’s what I’ve been told) but when I have to say that in person, I freeze completely and words run out so fast not even Speedy Gonzalez would be able to catch them (sorry I’m watching the Looney Tunes haha). I even try to imagine what I would write but say it instead in nothing comes to mind.
. I’ll just post a quote that I love and I sincerely hope that you can find someone to say it to….. “wherever you go, go with all your heart” — Confucius
My advice to you is to read a lot and write down in a special notebook every quote that you find interesting or moving or every thought you get throughout the day, so when you try to write a card you can get out your notebook, check it out, and I’m sure you’ll find something that suits perfectly, but try not to repeat the same quote to everyone or everyone will find out your secret
Ami
I agree with Judy – it was basically what I was going to say – BUT – not just the people, but the circumstances of the event.
Two friends discovered they were 5 months pregnant, she having been told she’d never have kids and losing several to miscarriage in 1st Trimester. But the U/sound which showed baby also seemed to indicate heart + kidney problems with ‘it’ (kept its legs crossed while u/sound was taken).
They’ve literally just rung me from out-of-town where they were sent for urgent in-depth u/sound, to say all is OK.
Just sending a “Congratulations! It’s a boy!!” card, as you admit is your problem, would be a little trite. We know he’s a boy, now, and she shouldn’t lose him now she’s in 3rd Trimester.
According to the 1st u/sound, the conception took place at a very symbolic time for them, so I’ll try and personalise the message when he’s born in terms of it being a gift from God.
Pagans could use similar language to; “The goddess moves in mysterious ways/chooses her time to bless”; Muslims, “Inshallah”; etc, etc.
Take your grandfather’s and Judy’s advise and think of who and what is being remembered in the card – then write it, don’t start writing and then get a block.
I find some of the best and most memorable messages include nicknames I may have for the person or running/inside jokes. Something unique to the relationship that is upbeat and will make them smile…
I agree with judy, think of the person. Do you have any insider jokes with them? Or any personal experience you shared with them, try to find a way to work that into the message so it feels like it’s you that wrote it and didn’t just copy and paste a message into the card. Plus it can make them laugh, which is always a good thing.
You could use the messages in printed cards – not pick the whole message but just a few words that you think are in sync with your feelings and incorporate them in your personalized greetings.
Say it with photos . . .a photo of you with the gift,or using the gift, this is a present for them.
I use a pretty generic message for anyone who isn’t a close friend but when it comes to cards for people I care about a lot, I tend to ramble!
‘ll fill nearly all of the space with funny things we’ve said together, well wishes for plans we’ve made and really any little thing that I know will make them smile!
Sometimes they read almost as a train of thought and other times they make no sense to anyone but the person it’s directed towards i.e. A card with BLADDERWRACK! written across the top of it
I always use a quote that express how I feel or reminds me of that person…maybe just a quote that sumerizes the reason why I am giving the card???
Could the problem be that we are expected to send cards at the time not of our choosing, instead of when the spirit moves us? The compromise solution would be to write a card when you think of someone, then send it on the traditional date (birthday, Groundhog Day, whatever). But why not go all the way? Send someone a greeting on whatever day you think of them, to let them know you’re thinking of *them*, not of some *date*.
i always draft, i spend all day writing and editing until something clever or cute come out of it!
usually i draw my own cards so i try to tie in the image with the event with the greeting.
and if i cant think of anyhting, i just leave it bare, cuase its not use forcing something from nothing.
Often people are stuck for words and end up writing an impersonal ‘Happy [whatever], Wishing you Well’ type of message in greeting cards.
What I like to do for happy events such as birthdays or Christmas is dig out a packet of colored pens (optional!) and write out a few lines of the person’s favorite songs in the greeting card. I also like to use a cute sticker or two.
Another more mature idea is to use an inside joke you have with the person, and remind them of the good times you’ve had together. Anything to make the message as personal as possible, which is guaranteed to make them smile. I always receive compliments for the originality of my greeting cards.
If you do not know the person well or are aiming for a mature approach, you could try quotes (http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/birthdayquotes.htm) or cute little birthday rhymes (http://www.poemsource.com/birthday-poems.html) you can find on the internet. Even better, dig out a rhyming dictionary and put your imagination to work, and write them a short and sweet poem of your own!
Good luck!
I observe the world in it’s natural habitat and go from there! The creative writing process isn’t as easy for everyone and you need to find smeone who can think of something on the spot if it’s that important! You can look me up: Buzbe at Yahoo Answers as long as you give me 3 days notice at my e-mail address :buzbe.tarver@yahoo.com or blackcatmonroe@sbcglobal.net. If you give me a few details about the intended, I can talk about him as if I was a long time friend guaranteed!
I am just like you! I always end up saying something corny or so unpersonal i may have well just sticked with “Have a Great Hanukkah” (A random and Holiday, first thing that came to my mind).
Well good luck me fellow sufferes of “Seasonalpoetitis” and those who are “Seasolyrically Challenged”.
Goodluck all and Have fun!
If all else fails, just give that card with the unicorn that is throwing up a rainbow, regardless of the occasion. It speaks volumes more than words.
I actually have the reverse syndrome, i always run out of room…not trying to brag cuz its not necessarily a good thing. but usually i start out writing why i picked the card for him/her, whats so similar between the two? Then I try to write the first few memories that come to mind when i think of them and then i end with what i admire about them, what i respect about them. probably a cheesy joke here and there. And then end it with how thankful i am to have them in my life….
Say what comes from the heart In ur cards so if the card is totally lame then atleast u said something that meant alot.
I just sign my name soooo…hahaha, not like its anything special to get a card from me.
No, I don’t have any suggestions. However, I noticed tha you must be nice. However, I will try some of your suggestions, even though I hope that will not cause me pain. I might be “mean-spirited”.
I used to make my own cards, finding random images I liked on the web, then adding some other random text that i thought would be funny and make people think. Recently I started letting my 2 year old do the decorating inside our cards, then we just sign our names, maybe it’s a cheap way out but at least i don’t need to come up with something sappy to write – there isn’t any extra room for it!
My brother in law solves this problem by simply giving cards that are so inappropriate that it’s funny in itself, such as a Happy 2nd Birthday card given to someone graduating college. Or my husband always has the same problem of thinking of something meaningful and original to say, so the last time he was signing a card for a retiring co-worker, he wrote: You suck. He’s a funny guy so i think it was probably taken in the right way, though I know that not everyone would feel comfortable writing something quite so point-blank.
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I’m not good with thoughtful words in greeting cards. I usually just elaborate what the one that I bought says, and add a little bit of I love you’s and Miss you’s. And for regular occasions, I compensate by buying really funny ones. When I think about it, nothing ever comes out.
Though I detest thank you cards, and usually write fairly generic messages in those, I try to be a little more creative with birthday cards and such for people who are closer to me. I usually make all my own cards, by folding 8 1/2 x 11 paper, and then either drawing something on it, or googling and printing pictures to glue on. I try to think of some memories, inside jokes, things the person is interested in, etc. that I have with the person and incorporate those into the card. I made a birthday card for a friend with some of our inside jokes on it and he really got a kick out of it and said it was probably his favorite gift. Making the cards yourself gives you the chance for a more personal chance, and then the card might mean more to the receiver.
i generally just find the funny ones. but if it’s truly something important, i draft.
for example, my friend was hit by a train and killed last year. i wanted to give her mom a card but nothing quite said what i wanted to say. i mean, how do you put in words the emotions of losing a child? i wasn’t sure if i should put memories i had with laura but then decided that those were between me and her. i ended up writing the things i loved about her and telling her mom what a wonderful person her daughter was and how much she would be missed.
another pointless, boring post
I always draft my messages out too!
How about thinking of a memory the person the card is for shares with you? A funny prank that you and a friend pulled, the first time you and the person met, etc.. Those kinds of things are always nice.
Or be simply straightforward and tell the person how much they mean to you. It will sound corny, no doubt, but it will still be sweet nonetheless. Your friend may laugh, but hey, maybe they feel the same way and are too afraid to put their feelings into words. =)
why cant i start ansering questions
Same here! I just usually come out with :
Dear Mrs. or Mr ,
I sincerely thank you for .
I particularly enjoyed .
And so on and so on ^^; nothing really gets be motivated to write an awesome card.And if I am, it’s still usually short :/
put yourself in the person’s position that you are writing to and ask yourself what you’d want other’s to write to you. such as a memory, a thought, a quote, something special and different
Here’s a fun idea: punch the event and/or name(s) into an anagram generator and find inspiration. My parents just got an anniversary card from me that said, “Papery varnish yarn!” Other “happy anniversary” options include, “A nervy piranha spy!” This was their 31 and I was just sick of sticking to “Happy _ Anniversary”. This is a great anagram generator: http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/
Did you see “Mr. Deeds”? In the film, a card by Adam Sandler’s character was published, and it was actually very cute. Spoiler alert: here’s the text of the card. “Hard to breathe, feels like floating, so full of love, my heart’s exploding. Mouth is dry, hands are shaking, my heart is yours, for the taking. Acting weird, not myself, dancing around, like the Keebler elf. Finally time, for this poor shlub to know how it feels, to fall in lub.”
Then there are acrostic poems, like the ones we’d do in school. My mother-in-law just told me this cheesy one the other day for “family”: “Father And Mother, I Love You”. Aw, how sweat. (That was NO typo.) Throw around some latin. “Omnia Vincit Amor” sounds hot. Make up something and attribute it to someone famous. “A child, like a delicate rose in bloom, is only young once, so nip their sass mouth in the bud, smack, smack.” -Dakota Fanning
I hope this has not just served to further impede your progress. Graphic party wind! (Or, happy card writing.) ~AMEWzing
I’m not very good at writing birthday cards. This is pretty much my standard message for all of them:
Happy birthday! I hope you have a great day!
xD It’s horrible, right?
i find time to sit at the table and personalize each card with something between that person/family and i. like a joke or something like that. it usually works out well.
Last year, I wrote some christmas greeting cards to friends I really liked, using “traditional” ink and paper. I had a hard time finding an ink jar, pen and nib at regular stores, but I found what I was looking for at an astists’ shop (where I usually never go). I bought some regular christmas cards and just wrote, in my finest handwriting (after some practising with the unknown ink and pen) on the inside: “Merry christmas to you” [in my language, of course], and something I thought to be my “calligraphic” signature.
I never had so many personal responses like last time. So I think it’s not important WHAT you write, but HOW you do it.
My ink-and-pen calligraphy was far from perfect, but it was appreciated because it came from the heart.
And shouldn’t all greetings be like that?
I have found card writing to be difficult for me too. I usually team up with my sister for cards though. She does an AWESOME and ADORABLE drawing, and I write the lame greeting. lol. But, if you are better at art, try your hand at making your own cards. The thought would be there 100% and people would probably enjoy getting a handmade card rather than a store bought one. That way, you can still have lame words!
Often I will draw something inside the card and simply sign my name. If I can’t think of a message, a wonky cartoon drawing of my friend holding a cake does well in place of a birthday message. Just make sure you color it in nicely and line it with a high quality pen, (no ball-points!) It shows you spent time on their card even though you may not be one with words.
i try to make a reference to a good time, or memory i have had with the recipient of the card and at the same time try to incorporate a photo or picture that coordinates with that event.
i also personalize the cardby including their name in the greeting i.e. happy birthday mary or happy anniversary jane and harry.
if i don’t have time to make the entire card from scratch, i will doctor up a store bought card, often purchased at the dollar store.
so aside from wishing good health and much happiness or stating that i hope all your wildest dreams come true, i know that likely all my efforts will likely end of in the trash in a matter of days.
another thing i might to is buy a card that says very complimentary things about the person, and then add a note saying ’save this card – you can always send it back to me on my birthday. my cousin and i have been recycling a birthday card like that since 1969.
The best thing about veering from the non-store bought impersonal cards is that its easy – make it personal! Bring up all the funny quirky things that this person does, make them laugh about some inside joke. Don’t worry about making it inspirational. Just make it real.
Hi,
I would be more than happy to write numerous spiritual messages or greeting that you could use if you are willing to do a partnership business relationship. Send me an email and let’s talk. Waiting to get started soon.
James T2
Add a quote, poem, joke, anecdote, interesting fact (for example: “this day in history,” “what you may not have read about in today’s paper,” etc.), letter (”what you mean to me,” “what I did today” etc), drawing or doodle. Whatever it is can be made relevant to the occasion, style of card including its graphics, and personalities involved. You may wish to accompany it all with a short blurb suggesting how, in your own words, the quote/poem/etc. applies to the card recipient and why you’re sending it.
Consider including a picture (which would likely do well to be relevant to the quote, poem, etc.), recipe, or paste stickers over card graphics in a decorative, cute, expressive, or funny way.
That said, and as hard as it may be to come by, if you can find a particularly unlame card already premade then you can just sign and send.
I suggest you purchase cards with messages inside. They save your time.
I know what you mean. I am a wannabe writer. And the thought is important to me. So i write it on scratch paper and if i like i copy it on good paper.
Hope it helps .
Here’s an idea why not start out with a humorous remark and remember the person you write to will be glad to get a card or letter.
If i meet someone i like i eother tell a friend or email try that before you send out a card. You can always change the thought.
lol sometimes i kinda shut down, too, lol. but i always think of something int he end. in my mother-in-laws birthday card the other day, i simply wrote:
‘you kick @ss…and we love you. happy birthday!’
but that is just the kind of person i am i guess. lol atleast she laughed!
I would like to write some cards for the people that haven’t had good fathers. And just write what is on my heart. Every time I decide to write I guess that is a talent cause if there is something bad I have to say I spit it out and if I have good I have no problem expressing myself.
Just write from your heart and you will always get a good message or bad depending on the kind of card you want. Karen
one way to write something new would be to write a different kind of card, i.e. I’m sorry I was a bitch or jerk, I let someone come between us, We can’t seem to speak, why have you hurt me so. can we overcome. I do think there is a need for these cards as I read through all the question people have posted here, it seems they just can’t communicate. and I know it’s easier to read a card then listen to someone that has hurt you.