The biggest lie I believed: that handmade birthday cards are always better than store bought

I used to scoff at anyone who bought a card. Thought it was lazy and impersonal. Then my sister spent 4 hours on a card for my 30th and it looked like a kindergartner did it. I smiled and said thanks but inside I wished she'd just grabbed one from CVS. Last month I bought a $4 card for my neighbor's retirement party and they teared up reading it. Made me realize the effort doesn't always match the outcome. Has anyone else had a handcrafted gift fall totally flat?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmaclark1d ago

Oh man, I feel this so hard. My aunt once knitted me a sweater for Christmas and it was seriously the most misshapen, itchy thing I've ever seen. The sleeves were two different lengths and it somehow smelled like mothballs even though it was brand new. I had to wear it for like 5 minutes in front of her and pretend I loved it, then it went straight to the back of my closet where it's probably still hiding. I mean, sometimes a store bought card or gift just hits different because the person actually had time to pick something that fits the moment perfectly.

oliverhernandez1d ago

A store bought card still took time and thought though. You have to go find the right one, think about who it's for, and pick something that fits them. Isn't picking a good card just a different kind of effort?