You Care With Cards by Karen Smith

My friend Milan, recently had a birthday. I thought I would make his card from the

plane I was on, going home.

When he received it in the mail. He couldn’t wait to call me to say thank you.

He had so much excitement in his voice. He had never had the chance to look out

of a plane window before.

He said when he would travel, he usually had an aisle seat. He told me, this card

was very special. He was trying to figure out what the landmarks were.

He showed it to many people, and they were impressed, He said he really

appreciated this card and thought it was worth a 1,000 words.

My flight over Hoover Dam was truly a treat for me. My brother and I went for a

motorcycle ride and we ended up at the Dam.

He thought he would show me how much he appreciated me for being his sister.

He bought us tickets to take a Helicopter ride over the Dam so we could see the

new bridge that was built over it.

This was amazing. It was sad though to see that the water level had dropped 100

feet. Due to not getting enough rain. My stomach was in my throat so many times

it was unreal, the way the driver of the Helicopter flew up and down. This helicopter

had a glass floor so you could really see everything.

I carry this card with me me all the time so I can show people, and they are totally

amazed at the view. Plus it puts a smile on my face.

Would I recommend this to others? Most definitely! I would do it again in a heart

beat.

Kim is such a great dog. She always wants to play and she sure can put a smile on your face. She was use to herding animals and now is retired.

She had come to stay with my brother and his 18 year old dog. Buck was starting to go downhill and needed a companion.  Kim would play catch all day if you let her.

Her owner is in Wyoming and Kim is in Nevada helping out with Buck.

Kim was really energetic on this day and I thought it would be nice for her owner to see Kim again. Inside this card is a video of Kim catching her toy.

When her owner received the card, she called me and was so excited about seeing  Kim in a video.

As we were finishing up with our call, Tracy said she really appreciated seeing Kim and was amazed that there was a video in the card. She said it was Awesome. She said now she can have Kim with her anytime of the day. With the excitement in Tracy’s voice you could tell she was missing Kim, but now it didn’t hurt at all. She could watch her dog anytime now. I bet if I had been at Tracy’s house when she viewed the card. Her facial expressions would have been priceless.

Losing a pet is just like losing a family member.

My son’s family recently lost their dog due to being hit by a car. The little dog sometimes acted as if he was a big dog.

My son was on his front porch with his infant son & one of their dogs.  His son (age 1 ½) was doing something which my son had to act fast on.

Charlie the little dog decided to run down the steps and then down the sidewalk past one house and into the road, getting hit by a car.

My son tried to yell at Charlie, but the little guy was running so fast and not listening. Three cars stopped to help. My son carried his little very limp dog home.

When he got to his house, he laid the dog on the grass, where Charlie looked at my son as to say I Love You! After that look, Charlie’s little eyes closed and that was the end.

We thought it would be appropriate to send them a card from our pets. They all had come to our house and would be around my pets, which was cool to see. They all got along well.

My son’s family took this blow very hard. They still have one little dog, but it’s not the same.

My husband who is a Mechanic decided to show his customers his appreciation to his customers by letting them know, he was going on Vacation to Canada for 10 days.

He didn’t have time to call each of them on the phone since he has so many customers, so he decided to send a message through the mail.

He figured he would show them a story because some of them were elderly and they wouldn’t understand about a Fly-In-Fishing Trip.

A trip like this consists of driving to a destination in Canada, then boarding a Pontoon Plane with all of your gear for the length of your trip. The plane then takes your group of people to a specified Lake which has a cabin, an outhouse, and 4 small boats with motors and a long pier.  There is a propane stove and propane refridgerator. No Electricity. This cabin would be able to sleep 8 people in bunk beds.

When a trip like this is taken. You get to enjoy all of Nature’s beauty and the peace and quiet.

When arriving at the cabin’s pier, the previous group have their gear stacked by the pier. The pilot has everyone form a long line so the plane can be unloaded with your party’s gear. Then the plane is again loaded with the previous group’s  gear.

The pilot goes up to inspect the cabin and then to tell the new group a few things, like if they should need help to put a big square green board at the end of the pier. The pilot can see this from the sky while flying over and will stop. Once the plane and pilot are gone. You are on your own.

When my husband’s customers received their card they would call him to get work done on their vehicles before he went on the trip. This was not to draw in business before he left, but to let them know that he would be away. It was funny how the message was taken.

Recently I was helping friends with a 2 day Rummage Sale since it was a subdivision rummage sale. On the first day there were many people who came. Some bought things and some were there just to look. There was also water, soda, and homemade popcorn for sale where little kids could feel like they were a part of helping.

There was a back massager for sale that was set up in a chair. People could sit in the chair and turn on the button and get a massage while they were sitting there. It created different conversations. There was this man that sat in it for awhile, waiting for his wife to look around the sale. He was munching on popcorn and was telling us how good it was. We would have conversation with him and we all would laugh. When his wife was ready to go, she would tell him that he must get out of the chair now so they could hit other sales.

They left and a couple of hours after that the weather changed. It was starting to sprinkle so we had to get everything into the garage in order to keep it dry. As we got it all inside, the man and his wife came back. He was hoping to sit in the chair again. We could let him do this since the chair was easy to get to. Again he bought some more popcorn.

While he was sitting there, a  lady came and she was looking around at things. She looked at him and they started to talk. It turned out they knew each other from the past. They only talked a few minutes and we didn’t think anything about it. The man left with his wife and the lady that had been talking to him was now in the back of the garage and she was just standing in one place with her back towards us. I couldn’t help to notice she was crying.

She turned around and asked us if we knew him. We told her no, that he had been here about 4 times so far for the popcorn and to sit in the chair. She informed us that he was a Cancer Survivor that was such an inspiration to her.

She told us his story.  There had been many benefits held for him so he could pay his medical bills. The whole time she was telling us that, she tried not to let the tears flow down her face. She talked about 30 minutes. Each time she talked she said that she wished there was a way that she could bottle his inspiration.

She said the man had been through so much at such a young age. All of the different treatments. The ups and downs. She said he was 36 years old. She said each time she sees him, she cries. She can’t help it. Again she wished she could bottle his inspiration. She said “I see he is putting on a little weight and it looks good on him.”

She had in her hand a plastic bag with 6 fishing lures. They were what you call spoons. They were silver and about 5 inches long. The price on the bag was 50 cents. She showed it to me and I said “okay that is 50 cents. All of a sudden she reached down the neck of her blouse and pulled out a fishing lure spoon that was on a chain that she used as a necklace. I just looked at her like why would she be wearing something like this. She proceeded to tell me it was something she had received from that man. She described it as her piece of inspiration.

The more this lady talked, the more I thought I had to tell her about how she could make a card and mail it to herself  if she could get a picture of the man. She didn’t know his address.I went to my vehicle and showed her a few cards I had made and received that had pictures of people on them and why they were special to me. I showed the one of my Dad when he was in a happy moment. One being when I was in Germany as an exchange student we came across a TV to be able to talk to our families while we were away from home. My dad is below me in front of the TV screen.The other being when I sold a car out of the showroom when I worked for a Car Dealership. She proceeded to tell how she lost her mom to stomach cancer also. Her mother went fast and she appreciated that. Her mom wouldn’t have to suffer long.

She had never heard of this way to keep memories alive. She said she had pictures of her mom but didn’t have time to be looking at all of the picture albums at home. She told me that her mother had boxes of cards that had been saved over the years, but that none of them had pictures. The verses inside were great but now this idea of having pictures with them would be more meaningful.

This lady was so emotional still from seeing that man and his wife. She again asked ” Are you sure you don’t know him? We told her “no.” She said she would have to find this man’s address so she can get a picture of him, so she can keep it with her. She knew his name but that was it. Even though she had gone to many of the benefits, she never realized how important this man’s  inspiration would effect her.Before she left, she asked if she could have my phone number so I maybe could her her make this special memory card. I gave it to her. She thanked us for listening to her and again she cried, waving good-bye to us.

A few days has passed by since the sale and the lady has called me to help her. She located the man and went to his home and talked with him and his wife. She said they had a long conversation that she will treasure forever. She really appreciated this moment she had with them. She thanked me and told me she appreciates me for making her day!

My last post was about Milan and Antonio both being excited about a card that was sent to Milan. Remember, Milan came to my husband and myself while we were at the lake and asked us to take a picture of him and his friends.

The reason I feel this is worth talking about again is because this is a way relationships turn into friendships.  On our journeys we build lasting friendships.

Milan has come over to talk with my husband and myself and the conversations were really interesting.  He told us that when he was a young boy he never received any cards since his family was very poor. Their way of doing birthdays and holidays, was done verbally and the same with a Thank You for something that was done at one time or another. They would get a small homemade gift and maybe a cupcake or a candy bar.

During his life people just didn’t give or send cards. He figured since he was a bachelor all of his life that maybe people didn’t see any reason to give a guy a card. He told us he was a bachelor because his wife to be, got killed many years ago and his heart couldn’t love another woman, even though he tried. It just wasn’t meant to be.

He said he worked for many years until his retirement a few years ago. During that time he never received any cards nor did he have any reason to give any. He would be with people socially but never went to any gatherings that required such a thing.  He says that he didn’t know how, to go and pick one out getting the right words on paper or what to really say.  Many times, he didn’t have the time, since he worked many hours a day. Now he says he regrets it.

My simple card of him and his 2 dogs must have really must have touched him, because he has now sent us 2 cards he and he said the lady at the store helped him pick them out. I was truly touched with him doing this. We never expected anything. He asked for a simple picture of him and his 2 dogs. Then we could mail them to him.

He has brought us gifts and each time he just can’t thank us enough. We even told him that he doesn’t have to bring us gifts, but he won’t listen.

Below are the 2 cards he has sent to us. The front and the insides of each one.  This man is so touched by something so simple.

Milan is a man I met about 4 weeks ago. I was down at the lake with my husband and we were walking and talking, enjoying the lake, and the weather was just right. We had been taking pictures of all the things that caught our attention.

There were a few geese strutting their stuff, a man on some kind of board for the water with a long stick paddle and hardly any boats in the harbor.

There was this man with his 2 dogs that were on leashes then when he wasn’t that far away from us, he let the dogs run. We were watching him for a while and his companions were having a great time running and just checking things out.

He was calling to his dogs but the dogs just wanted to meet us. Here they come, running and wagging their tails. He introduced himself to us and asked if we could take a picture of him and his dogs? We said yes, but we would have to mail them to him since they had to be printed.

I sent him a card with the pictures of the 3 of them a couple of days later.  It had my return address on it, that way he would know who he was receiving mail from. He stopped by my house and was so excited about receiving them. He said he showed it to many people and they told him it was really nice. He told them he never had any pictures of himself with the dogs. He said he was going to frame it.

He wanted to know where I had this made. I invited him into my home and showed him how I did it. He kept telling me over and over how much he really appreciated it. He tried to pay me for the card but I couldn’t accept the money.

A few days went by and he called me to see how I was doing, and asked if he could come by. I told him he could. When he arrived he came with a little boy. He handed me an envelope and inside was a gift card for a local restaurant. I told him I couldn’t accept it, but he insisted that I have it. He said, he would feel bad if I didn’t. I ended up taking it.

I invited the two inside and the little boy asked if he could pet my stuffed animals. I agreed then took some pictures of the 2 of them together. They both were really happy.

People like to be appreciated. No matter what it is that can be shown.

Have you ever forgotten someone’s Birthday? I have and would come up with excuses of why.

That person doesn’t care about your excuses. They are hurt that you didn’t remember.

That was their Special day and they felt like no one cared.  I make it a habit now to gather birthdays as I go through the year, so I am prepared for the next year. In return when I remember someone’s birthday they are so excited and they store that in their memory bank .

When you least expect it, they decide to do something nice for you and it’s not even your Birthday or a Holiday. How does that make you feel? You felt appreciated I bet.

I was watching my pets today as they were all curled up sleeping and all of a sudden it dawned on me, that it was my Dog’s birthday. She turned 4. I had bought her a new toy a few days earlier so I would take her outside and play with her. I should sing to her but she would look at me as though I went goofy.

I though for a moment. A pet doesn’t even care if you forget that day. They still will look at you to give them attention. They meow or bark in their way of telling you that they appreciate the love you give to them. If you pet them, play with them they are content.

My cats actually show when they are neglected. One of them will run from room to room as fast as can be, trying to get the others to join in. When they don’t. the dog figures she will chase the cats and play with them. It’s just their way of showing each other that they are appreciated.

It is funny when the dog is sleeping on her back, my smallest cat will go up to the dog lick her ear and then curl up and be content. If they could only talk. Now that I remembered the dog’s birthday, I don’t feel like a crumb.