It was about 2 days after. I don’t exactly remember when, my world had just collapsed, time wasn’t recognisable, I doubt I was either.

Going through my Mum’s wardrobe, seeing all her clothes and shoes, all memories of times now past, and there, at the back a box full of greeting cards she’d held onto.

I found the 40th Birthday card that I’d bought her eight and a half years before, with a birthday message I’d scribbled in my 14-year-old handwriting.  I felt her right then, in that moment. She’d held these cards in her hands, they had made her smile, they’d made her happy, so much so that she had kept them all this time.

I too kept lots of cards from my mother. Exams, driving test, engagement and my 22nd birthday, just 2 weeks before she died. My last card, maybe the last time she wrote my name, maybe the last time she wrote ‘Love Mammy’. 

I have always loved greeting cards, always loved the special gesture that goes into choosing one, putting pen to paper and taking the time to send it. The kindness of recognising a day in someones life and making them feel special. 

Living on the other side of the world to my family, Chasing Cards is my hero. It makes me smile, it makes me happy, it gives me strength and hope that the world is a thoughtful place. Given that we rarely write letters anymore, taking the time to send a handwritten, heartfelt card is the simplest form of love and respect.

We all have the power to change someone’s world… a simple folded piece of card that can create a smile, help mental health and mean so much.

Love
Rhian