The problem: I love telling people how much they mean to me by sending them greeting cards on occasions or non-occasions to remind them they are not forgotten.
The sin: Old school thinking leaves me feeling that you need to pen ‘sentences’ /’expressions’ not just 2 word onto beautiful cards and take the effort to write the address and stick a stamp on the envelope in order for the recipient to truly ‘feel’ the sincerity of your gesture.
The green alternatives:
a. Give up on cards and replace it with a heart felt conversation by phone – Not really a logical option because I don’t think I could afford making so many calls- funds would dry up and so would my throat. Plus some things are easier written than said.
b. Go virtual and send e-cards. Now the real problem I have with such cards is how they kind of all look the same and have limited characters that your message can contain. And really you have to realize that the only thing that makes your card, virtual or otherwise convey how much thought you put into it, is the careful selection of the design on the card and the expressions you’ve left on it. The best solution in this case is to fork out a bit of cash to “buy” virtual cards from sites like hallmark where even the free e-cards are quite divine. Plus you need to consider your recipient – I mean not everyone is IT savy and I wouldn’t expect Great Grandma to appreciate opening a virtual card. So perhaps if you opt to go virtual, you’ll still make an exception to keep the conventional method for some (but consider option C in doing this).
c. Stick to physical cards but either spend some time in putting one together yourself or head to the store to look for hand-made eco friendly ones. The latter is the easiest way out but would clearly cost more than conventional cards. The former says no less than the effort you put into finding the perfect words to carry your wishes across the miles, so clearly it is best. I’ve also crafted cards through needlework and beading – no new materials, just what I have laying around and all I can say it, the personalization of those ‘cards’ is priceless!
My solution to my greeting card issue is option C, but because it’s really tedious work to put together a ‘card’ I save and limit these to just a few. The rest I just send in the electronic mail…Oh and a personal favourite is PostCarden cards – amazing little garden cards!
