KT: Cards and Gifts

It's funny, mom, that you should mention cards. This year for your birthday I tried something new-- a photo I took this winter of a fairy door in Ann Arbor (http://www.urban-fairies.com/). I sent it as a post card ...Happy Birthday! The homemade cards do take a several hours to make- from coming up with an idea, gathering materials, to making the card. Probably the cards are more wasteful than storebought cards because they are made from several different materials. So the homemade cards address the anti-consumerism part of our compact, but maybe not the environmental part.

Here's a question for you, mom. You bought a card for a family member with cancer. I am trying to envision how a homemade get-well card for someone with cancer would be received? Or a sympathy card? Most of my cards are whimsical and are given for birthdays and happy occasions. I suppose you could create a card appropriate for a sadder occasion but this compact has made me realize what narrow limits there are on acceptable behaviors for such occasions.

You could forego the card altogether. If the sick recipient in question is closeby, non-card options could include a visit, or even helping out with gardening, running errands, etc. If the person is out of town, it gets a bit tricker. A phone call is always nice, if the person is well enough to receive it. Any other ideas?

Last week, a bunch of friends decided to go in on a gift for a laid-up member of our running group. I suggested buying her a food basket from a local specialty deli. Turns out some other runners had already stocked her up on food for the next several weeks. The next suggestion was to buy her a t-shirt from a running relay race she had to drop out of. Am I really going to say no? I am taking her place on the relay!

What about sympathy sentiments? Options to replace cards or flowers? You could always donate money to a charity in honor of the friend or family member (although that would still involve a card, no doubt). Plant a tree? Any other thoughts??