I have a box full of greeting cards such as sympathy cards, birthday, get well, thinking of you, and general all occasion cards. Some cards I purchased but the rest were received in the mail from solicitors trying to get my money.  Anyway, whenever I need a card for an occasion I consult my box.  Recently, I was looking through the box looking for thank you cards and I spotted a pretty card with two red cardinals on top.  It appealed to me so I opened it and to my surprise it wasn’t’ blank.  Instead, it was a card dated January 14, 2006 and it was to my youngest daughter from her great-grandmother also known as  “GG”.  In it the card said the following:

Hi Gina!

It’s not your birthday yet.  I just wanted you to know I love you and Sarah very much! Just think, in September you will have a party for you alone! You will get lots and lots of cards, a birthday cake and everything.

Love you,

“GG”

GG sent this card because Gina was only two and half at the time and her big sister Sarah was celebrating her 5th birthday.  We all know kids go through “birthday envy” when someone else is celebrating a birthday.  GG understood that and wanted to reassure Gina that she too will have her special day.

GG is ninety-two years old now and is very frail and losing her memory.  She has a hard time remembering Gina and Sarah’s name but she still loves them very much.  Finding this card brought tears to my eyes. It brought back so many memories of GG with my girls. GG loved and still loves spending time with them. This card just reaffirms her feelings.

I have no idea how this card was mixed up in my box of greeting cards.  How was it misplaced all those years ago? How could I have been so careless and let it get lost? How come I never discovered it all the times I rummaged through the box for cards over the past eight years? Why am I just finding it now?

Maybe it is a reminder of how fast life passes by and we should spend time with those we love so we can make memories we will cherish forever?  Perhaps I am finding the card now because cardinals are the symbol of Christmas representing beauty and warmth and we are in the Christmas season?  Or maybe it is just pure coincidence.  All I know for certain is I will never misplace this card again. I will put it in Gina’s memory box with other special cards and mementos.  One day when she is older she will discover the card and hopefully remember all the great memories of her GG.