Friday, March 15, 2013

❤ ❤ ❤

When I receive cards for any occasion, I keep them displayed on the fireplace mantel for a little while, and then throw them away. It's not very often I will actually keep them. I may have about 5 that I have hidden away somewhere. 

I have one friend, in particular, who my card routine really bothers. She has actually just about stopped sending or giving me cards altogether. And when she does, it's always with this disclaimer, "I know you're just going to throw it out anyway!!" I guess my question is - curiously, what do you do with all your cards? I suppose I'm not too sentimental with stuff, but I care a great deal. I guess it might be confusing, because heartfelt words mean more to me than gifts, but once I read them, I store them in my heart...and then throw them ; )

I can see it now..."mental note - never get that girl a card again!"

I just don't like to keep extra 'stuff' around the house, so we are always going through and putting together bags for Goodwill. There is one bag though, off in a corner, which is an exception. It contains all of the cards and well wishes we received while Aviana was in the hospital. I have always seen it, but have never been able to actually go through it since I was numb and confined to those walls. That is until today.

I read every single card, every word, and looked at every drawing.

To everyone who might still be reading - thank you so much for taking the time to surround our family at the absolute worst time of our lives. I will never be able to express how much needed your love was and is!









    

11 comments:

  1. I wish I could be a little more like you - oh my gosh I save EVERYTHING! It's like a phobia with me, I don't know what the deal is. If my kid scribbles a note to me, I save it. Every little note Rich gives to me, I save it. Heck, when I was 18 and got my first phone line, I had one of those old answering machines that used a regular tape to record the messages. Guess what? I saved all my friends', family's, and boyfriend's messages! I STILL have the tape!! (played Rich's first message at our wedding reception: "Hi, Trina? This is Rich, and I met you last night...." was how it started out. We played his first message to me right before our first dance together as a couple. The DJ played it for everyone to hear. It was pretty, neat, actually.)

    Anyway, I'm a saver.
    And of course I, too, have all the cards and well-wishes given to us during Audriana's hospital stay. Can't ever part with them. She's 20 years old now. I guess I should give them to her? I know she would like to have them. Well, maybe someday I will pass them along to her. But for now, they are still mine :)

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    1. You are so funny Trina! I used to save much more, but as the years went by...it all started to go, go, go. My brother is the saver of every teeny, tiny little bit and piece. I have to go in and pick things up and say, "Really?" Maybe that's my calling. I should work on Hoarders?

      I always think though, am I one more massive tragedy from being a Hoarder. I am fascinated by that show and sometimes they were like me and then something rocked them and they became a Hoarder!

      I don't know...I do still have one box of letters and one envelope of stuff in a back closet from high school and a little into college, but that's about it. I wonder where it happened to me...that I just stopped?

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    2. And Dave is the EXACT same way, because he grew up in a house where his mom saved EVERYTHING and it DROVE him!!

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  2. Good question. I am not a saver and at my age (which is old), I know my daughter will throw away everything when I'm gone. However, I have a large manila envelope where I have kept cards that mean a lot, cards from her, cards with notes from friends that I want to re-read. I also keep some tacked to my bulletin board by my computer, including the first lovely note and gorgeous card I got from you. I think it'll stay there a really long time.
    XOXO
    Dixie

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    1. Yes, I have one of those envelopes too now that I was thinking about it, but older.

      Awww Dixie, that is so sweet!! I will be seeing it, along with you soon : )

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  3. HI Jen,
    Im a card saver myself, I dont know why? But one idea is, IF you feel bad about throwing them away,is, see if you can find maybe something like a nursing home or facility that works with our special population, they often make little projects that they could perhaps use some parts of the card, just put a bag somewhere in one of your closets and save them for a special delivery, if some of the writings are something you wouldnt want someone to read,just cut that part out.
    How I came up with that thought is ,my daughters homeschool group make cards for a nursing home at Christmas time with old cards then they deliver them.
    Just a little idea.
    HTH,
    Cindy from NC

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    1. Oh Cindy that is SUCH a great idea!! Before the accident I used to make cards so I do feel really bad about throwing the really beautiful ones out!! What a WASTE!! I will start doing that! Thank you so much for the idea!!

      That is such a great project and I bet so fulfilling!!

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  4. If I dearly love the person (that really narrows it down ), I keep it. If I care about the person and they are old, I keep it to remember their handwriting. I also keep ALL of the cards from big occasions like wedding (I even have all my baptism cards my mom saved).

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    1. Those are both great points, especially the handwriting. I have saved some from my mom, as I love her writing : )

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  5. Hi Jen,
    We don't know each other personally but you were following along with my sister's journey after a car accident back in Nov. 2009. Her name is Jennie - www.jenniesavickas.blogspot.com. I just re-read the entire blog that I kept for the first 9 months post accident - first time that I have done that in forever. I saw an encouraging message you left us there and am now checking in on how your daughter is doing. How neat that you just went through all the cards at about the same time I re-read the blog! I hope your daughter is doing well...I just started reading your blog and hope to learn more about her journey soon. Thank you for your words of encouragement way back when! Sincerely, Jesse Smith (jessemsmith@bellsouth.net)

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    1. Hi Jesse ~ Thank you for your sweet comment. I checked back in on your sister's blog. I hope she has made much more improvement since then : ) Thank you for following along!

      Love,

      Jen

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