Remember when you were a kid and received happy birthday cards from your grandparents or aunts and uncles? What was the first thing you did when you took the greeting cards out of the envelopes? You looked to see if there was any money in them! Don’t deny it. Even if you weren’t so obvious as to shake the birthday cards upside down to see the cash fall to the floor, you surely peaked inside, ever so slyly. Once you saw the money, you thanked them and went on to open the next envelope without even reading the card; You may even have received a little reprimand from your embarrassed parents.
Now as an adult, I read every word in all of my birthday cards, even if they don’t contain cash! It means so much to know that a relative, friend, or coworker took the time to choose a card and send it to me. The gesture lets me know that I’m in the thoughts of my friends and family, especially if they can’t be with me to celebrate the occasion. As I go through all of my birthday cards, I sincerely appreciate the sentiments wishing me a fun day and success in the year ahead. Maybe money can buy some happiness, but so can sincere and thoughtful greeting cards!