I am excited for spring break...I am leaving for Indianapolis in 12 days and I cannot wait. In the middle of that week I may take some time to head up to the even more frozen tundra of Michigan to visit with some friends and family. My parents and sister are up there right now celebrating my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary...sadly enough, I have to work. Go figure.
There is just something about that though...something about being married for 50 years that makes me smile. How can it not? I love "love"; it's just that simple. I love reading love stories, I love seeing people getting married, and I love celebrating these amazing milestones in life; hence, begins my latest obsession.
I never thought I would be one of these people. I always thought Hallmark greeting cards were overpriced and their products were too gifty for me (especially since I don't like stuff/material objects), but ever since I have been in a long distance relationship, I have begun to LOVE this store. Every Friday after classes, I take my weekly trip to the local Hallmark and spend at least 1/2 of an hour perusing their cards section and the other gifty things they have to offer. I pick out one, two, or three cards to send to my significant other and friends, swipe my Hallmark Crown Rewards Card, and go to find a nice quiet place to being writing. After that, it is off to the Method Rd. post office where the postal women know me by name and ask how I am doing. It is such a great feeling to know that I may have the potential to make someone's day.
During my last visit to Hallmark, it made me wonder a little more about the history of the company...and it is fascinating. It all began in 1910 when Joyce Clyde Hall stepped off a train in Kansas City, Missouri with nothing but two shoe-boxes of postcards under his arm. He had very little money, not even enough to get a carriage ride, but he had an entrepreneurial spirit and the determination of a pioneer. He joined his brother in business and began Hall's Brothers Greeting Cards. In 1917, the brothers began to innovate and invented the modern gift wrap. J.C. Hall continued with greeting cards; he was intrigued by the word "hallmark" that goldsmiths used as a mark of quality. From that point on, they began using Hallmark on the back of every card and was the first greeting card company to advertise nationally. In 1932, they signed their first licensing agreement with Walt Disney...look where that has taken them today! During that year, they also invented what is called "Eye-vision" greeting card displays. "Eye-vision" is took the cards out of drawers and put them on display racks where people could easily read and access them. All across the nation, greeting cards are displayed like this...all thanks to Hallmark! A lot has happened since the beginning of this company, but as Hallmark says....
"We've come a long way from a man with empty pockets, two shoeboxes of postcards, and a dream. But most importantly, we've held onto the enduring beliefs and values that fill the basic human need to
connect with others."
And here I am...connecting with the readers of this blog, hoping to conjure some sort of thought in your mind today. Being Lutheran, we celebrate the season of Lent and most people tend to "give up" something, but this year, rather than "giving up" something, I am going to give something.
Each day, it is my goal to send at least one card to someone special in my life.
Everyone knows that feeling...the feeling of opening the mailbox and receiving something that is not junk mail or a bill, but something that is handwritten and full of love. The wonderful mother of the love of my life sends me cards quite frequently and the women at Jordan Lutheran Church send care packages with cookies and cards...I never realized the impact that it made in my life until just the other day.
So, today, think about what you can do to make a difference in someone's life.