COLUMN œ DONNA BONNELL
Embracing Life Greeting Cards
A
ctress Emily Procter’s quote grabbed my attention: “I squirrel away sealed greeting cards that people give me so I can open them later when I’m having a bad day.” How Proctor can stand to leave a card unopened is beyond my comprehension. Enclosed may be an urgent message or a pleasant surprise. However, like the actress, I save cards (with special meanings). Physically holding and rereading tangible notes restores my memory of events nearly forgotten. The journey provides a sentimental fix when I am missing family and friends who are separated by death or distance. Two decades’ worth of those stored gems surfaced magically (maybe) when I needed a dose of healing love. The year 2015 was difficult, but filled with personal and spiritual growth. On a quiet enigmatic evening I pondered its purpose and began looking forward to 2016 for a fresh start. While in a seemingly serene state, I suddenly experienced a strange combination of sentiments. The strong emotional dam I worked hard to build was about to burst and flood my soul with grief. At the same time, there was an uncanny, almost
angelic energy force stopping the surge. Waves of optimistic thoughts pushed back the somber ones. It felt as though a powerful invisible wedge was propping me up. Frustrated for not understanding my frame of mind, I began taking down, packing and storing holiday decorations. As I attempted to slide one of the storage containers in place, I pushed against an unidentified box nestled in the far top dark corner of the closet. The heavy container of Santa and snowmen ceramics (balanced over my head), bounced back and landed on my forehead and scalp. Tears streamed down my face; my heart ached; my head hurt. Just as I was ready to surrender and simply drop the heavy overstuffed carton of Christmas memorabilia, somehow I got a grip. Miraculously, I managed to save my collection of treasures from crashing to the floor and shattering. In that instant, I regrouped and stopped for a second to say a prayer of gratitude. Ironically, almost instantly, my inexplicable raw emotions were under control. My mission quickly turned to determining the contents of the mysterious crate. This time I got my stepstool and flashlight and safely retrieved the item
in question. I hit the emotional jackpot! Enclosed were birthday, mother’s day and thank you cards. Even a few apology notes and congratulatory greeting cards were amongst the mix. I sat for hours on the floor reading handwritten messages, reminiscing and remembering those special people who made me the person I am today. Perhaps because I am a writer those gifts mean more to me than the average person. That may be true today, but greeting cards have been around for centuries. The custom can be traced back to the ancient Chinese and to the early Egyptians, who conveyed their greetings on papyrus scrolls. The first Christmas cards were crafted in London in 1843 and rarely included winter or religious themes. Flowers, fairies and sentimental images of children and animals were popular. In America, a German immigrant, Louis Prang, started a small lithographic business near Boston in 1856. His firm began selling Christmas cards in America in 1874. Prang is known as the Father of the American Christmas card. I am grateful Prang created my favorite tradition of the holiday season. It is an opportunity to update those we know with the year’s family events. Nowadays, it might be the only time we hear from distant folks. In my treasure chest was the last Christmas card I received from my nephew, Shane. Regular readers know that my 35-year-old nephew took his own life in 2015. Shane’s message was, “Thank you for all you have done for me. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Love, Shane.” Coincidence? Or, a sign from Shane to embrace life in 2016? s Donna Bonnell is a freelance writer who moved to Newberry in 1983. She enjoys living and working in the town she now calls home. dbnewberry@aol.com
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