Surfing the Inner N8

Insights & Outsights from a Guy Trying to Follow Jesus

The Sympathy Card Dilemma

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to buy a sympathy card?  As it is, I’m already rather particular about the cards I give to people.  There are just so many cards out there that are horrible.  I didn’t realize how bad they could get until I tried to find a decent sympathy card for two different guys whose fathers recently passed away.

One discovery I made quickly: Apparently, men were never intended to give each other sympathy cards.  Every single card in the “Sympathy” section had pastel flowers on the front of it and really bad poetry inside.

The flowery stuff was enough to disqualify every card from consideration for one man to give to another.  But what disqualified them all from giving even to a woman was the poetry.  Have you ever read this stuff?  Every card had something like this inside: “The pain of a migraine, getting hit by a brick/ Losing a loved one, or getting stabbed with an icepick/ Words can’t express/ So I thought it best/ To write you this stupid limerick.”  Okay, so maybe they weren’t quite that bad, but pretty close.  I can’t imagine actually giving those things to someone.  It seems like it would make it worse.

Anyway, the next time you need a sympathy card, I found that a simple solution is a blank card where you can write a comforting Bible verse, a personal note… and if you can’t resist, your own bad poetry.

Posted by:

Nathan Hyde

I’m a Christ follower in Ocean Pines, Maryland. After God, my wife, and daughter, my favorite things are my students, Mexican food, reading, and Orioles baseball.

5 responses to “The Sympathy Card Dilemma”

  1. Rob Johannsen

    How are you, Nathan? I can totally relate to what your talking about. There are some pretty shoddy cards out there. I’d rather create my own online for the most part. Hope all is well with you and the missus. Take care.

    Rob Johannsen.

  2. Rob Johannsen

    By the way, I like your blog. I stumbled across it on the Sonrise site of course. you have alot of great links as well. Bonnie, bryce, patrick, and I now live here in Pocomoke. We go to Sonrise once in a while, but i think we’ll be attending lynnhaven baptist for the most part. Anyhow, God bless!

  3. Nathan Hyde

    Thanks for stopping by, Rob. I didn’t know you guys had moved! God bless you too, brother.

  4. Judy Kressig

    Nathan,

    There is a real easy way out of the bad sympathy card thing – and yes you said it, create your own. By some card stock, if your printer can handle it and use lots of printer ink – go online or buy a disk that already has cards on it and print your own, or create your own with the trick of “cut & paste” on your computer.

    It is fun and easy! And ya know what else? If your printer can’t take thick “card stock” – print out pieces of the desired card and glue your own card together. A homemade card shows the time and feelngs better then the way overpriced Hallmark cards do!

    Judy

  5. Nathan Hyde

    Well said, Judy! Thanks for the idea. Plus, that way we can leave out the flowers and bad poetry.

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