I Got Your Card!

Ep 22 Decluttering Expert Dana White Ep 23 Musician Kathy Valentine

I Got Your Card!

This post is sponsored by Falling Leaf Card Co.

I pride myself on being forward-looking in my music tastes, or at least not listening to all ‘80s music, all the time. But there’s one area where I’m totally Team 20th Century (Or Earlier,) and that’s in my appreciation of a handwritten note.

There are definitely communication advantages to living in the always-on digital world, like the ability to call my mom while I’m out on a walk, or Instagram my college daughter a picture, or the theoretical promise of having my husband respond to a text immediately. (I say theoretical because a friend recently asked how frequently my husband texts me, and I double checked my phone, and the answer is “Twice a year, and only if I mention that I’m about to use power tools for a home repair project.”)

But none of that is quite the same as opening your mailbox and seeing the actual handwriting of an actual person about whom you care, who has taken the time to procure, write, address, and mail you their thoughts. I mean, leave it to 2018 to make the act of sending a card seem quaint and artisanal when it was the only way to go until the Year of our Lord AOL.

I was thinking about this in relation to my college age daughter, with whom I am in frequent digital contact. It’s wonderful to get her texts– between those and stalking following her on social media, I have a pretty good sense of what she’s up to most of the time, even if she is in school 3,000 miles away. So I didn’t send her much in the way of physical mail her first year at school.

But a couple of weeks ago, she sent a beautiful card to my husband and me to thank us for her relaxing winter break, during which she recovered from a punishing semester of five mechanical engineering classes by sleeping a solid 16 hours/day. We managed (only just) not to freak out about that by recognizing that she was pretty depleted, and the reward for our forbearance was a card that I have reread daily since she sent it. It was approximately 3654% better than a “Thanks Mom!” bitmoji, not that I’ve lab tested it yet, so that’s a ballpark figure.

That she took the time to find a card, write on it with an actual pen, and mail it to us is the cherry on top of the ice cream on top of a graham cracker crust of thanks. It was extra work she didn’t technically have to do, but chose to, and, well, she has just laid the groundwork for sleeping in every day during Summer 2018 without her parents saying a peep.

It shamed me a little bit, really, to think how many times I’ve sent a text when a physical card would have said so much more. I should know better. So I was delighted to come across Falling Leaf Card Co., which has a line of whimsical, nature-inspired cards and gifts created by artist Lee Connellee, designed to bring you closer to the people you cherish.

Having a stash of their cards around – and they sent me the selection, above, so I could see for myself – will make it a lot easier to send the right card at the right time. And their journals, tote bags, coasters, and other gift items are exactly the kind of stuff I stock up on for the Present Closet, that mythical cupboard to which I turn when I want to give something nice to someone and don’t have time to run to the store.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, Falling Leaf’s Valentine’s cards can definitely save your bacon. I’m not suggesting that YOU ever end up at the drugstore late on Feb 13 looking through the picked-over card selection. But if you were to stock up on a few Falling Leaf designs ahead of mid Feb, you DEFINITELY will not be deciding whether your spouse will be offended by receiving a card that reads, “For A Cousin Who Means So Much.”

To make it extra easy to roll into Valentine’s Day 2018, Falling Leaf is offering Midlife Mixtape readers a 15% discount off their first order, from now until February 14. Just enter the code “MIXTAPE” at FallingLeafCardCo.com to take advantage of this offer.

But wait, there’s more! Want to win a gift bag of Falling Leaf cards and gifts? Leave a comment below by Friday, Feb 9 at 5 pm PT and let me know the person from whom you’d most like to receive a handwritten card. I’ll pick a winner at random using random.org and voila – you’ll get an assortment of Falling Leaf’s cheery greeting cards and other goodies.

In the meanwhile, I’m going to send one of these heart cards to send to my daughter at college, and I know she’ll be happy to receive it. Especially because it doesn’t arrive with a beep that interrupts her sleep.

I’ve always loved this song and this unexpected musical pairing.