The value of a message.

I've spoken to a few friends lately and in general regarding giving and receiving cards, mostly birthday and christmas ones and perhaps valentines day. The general consensus is that it's a dying trend when you can use social networking sites and technology itself to pass along your message and feelings across and it costs you nothing to do this with the same result and being eco friendly as well.

I can definitely agree with it when it comes to being eco friendly, find an image that person will like or get a commission drawn for you if you're being extra special and add a message to it then e-email, text or post somewhere for that person and the only difference is that it's not personalised with your handwriting unless you own a graphic tablet or you're really good with using a mouse and MS paint perhaps.

I can't justify much when I'm left with those counters to cards but people don't actually go through that effort, these days it's a small message or a simple 'Happy Birthday' or 'Merry Christmas' in a message through technology and to go through the effort of purchasing a card online to give to someone still means you're required to make an effort to find the right card for that person as well.

Even buying a present for someone takes effort in knowing the person well enough to know what will be the most appreciated and valued by that person. I personally believe it's best to receive something more personal between you two, something you both appreciate in your own ways rather than something you know the person will like.

I have been keeping cards I receive for a few years now and although I don't look at them, I do know I can always go through the box I keep them in and smile fondly at some of the cards, I did this a few months back after reading and found a few from my great grandad who had passed away a few years before, I still had his handwriting there, something I could cherish because although he always wrote a short and simple message in his cards, they were still what came from his mind when he was alive.

I believe you never know when someone will pass away or you'll lose contact with them completely and you shouldn't dwell upon things like that, but appreciate them now and then, don't take words completely for granted either, but appreciate them while they're fresh and smile.

Sentimentality is a big deal for me because of my value on my relationships with people and how priceless they are.. even if you can save an e-mail or go through your past messages on social networking sites and/or phones etc, they still may fail you and you may lose those things just as much as I may somehow lose my cards I keep through a disaster of some sort...

I guess the point I'm trying to make without getting too side tracked, is that cards themselves may be a dying trend, but the messages are still important, I have more belief in this for birthdays than any other event because that's the day the person has lived a number of years, they're still alive and they are your friend, it's their day and it's to be appreciated that they exist, they may already know how you feel about them etc, but it's their day.. so make them know they're loved!