The Art of Card-Giving This Galentine’s Day

As I’ve matured, I’ve realized the undeniable importance of being surrounded by my sister circle. My tribe holds me down in many ways. They’re my supporters, cheerleaders, encouragers, and keep me accountable when I need to get it together. I wouldn’t trade them for the world! From breakups to makeups, and I told you so’s I can’t begin to imagine my life without my girls. 

That’s why I need to continue to celebrate their essence on days such as Galentine’s Day. With families, work schedules, and the everyday hustle and bustle, it’s growing increasingly difficult to carve out time throughout the day to catch-up. Also, welcome to adulthood! But one thing I know for sure is the art of card giving is something that never goes out of style. After losing my mother in 2014, I realized how often many of us take for granted the borrowed time and physical presence we have on earth with our loved ones. This is why I make it my mission to ALWAYS send the perfect message to the queens in my life through card-giving. Some think of it as a lost art, but I think of it as another form of communication. Words have power. Words carry both meaning and energy. 

Although February is all about love and romance with bae, we can’t forget about our day ones. Hey, girl hey! I see you, sis. Galentine’s Day may only roll around once a year, but the power of friendship and sisterhood lasts a lifetime. I spoke with Courtney Taylor, expert greeting card writer for Hallmark about the rules of card-giving, writing the perfect message for your bestie by speaking from the heart, and how Black women uplift each other through the certain use of language.

Courtney Taylor: I like to add memories inside my cards. Specifically for Galentines Day, I reflect on a moment in our friendship that made me sit back and think,  “Wow, this girl has my back.” Or “She really came through for me in this [particular] moment.” Also, sharing a great inside joke, you guys laugh about. By bringing up memories, it’s an excellent way to get your mind to think about writing that perfect message. We all have memories, and that helps because once you sit down and write sometime’s, we’re stuck on trying to convey how much I love this person without sounding corny or forced. 

BL.com: How does giving your best girlfriends a card speak to the power of friendship?

BL.com: Is card giving a lost art? 

CT: I don’t think it’s a lost art. I believe we’re under the impression that young people are not communicating that way anymore. Today millennials represent nearly 20% of the dollar spent on greeting cards, and that number is growing. So we definitely know that the younger generation and people that use social media to connect with others are still giving cards. One of the reasons, as I previously said, is that we might not see card giving as frequently because we think of cards as associations with certain holidays such as Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a huge card-giving holiday, but we don’t necessarily think about cards in everyday situations. 

CT: You have to know the person you’re giving the card to truly. Don’t try to pick out something general because it won’t resonate. Try to get it as specific to your relationship as possible. If you and your girlfriend crack a lot of jokes, maybe try to find a card that talks about your humor.  

The second rule I believe you have to add your touch. A hand-written message and not just sign your name at the end of the card. The writer in me knows the value of adding a message in the card because it brings the specificity that you need for something that speaks to your friendship. 

Related: Galentine’s Day Vibes: How to Enjoy Valentine’s Day With Your Besties

BL.com: Speaking to your company culture, in what ways does Uplifted, the brand extension of Mahogany, focus on the magic and empowerment of Black women? 

CT: In the way we as Black women speak to one another, we sometimes refer to each other as “sister” instead of “friend,” so we have the language in these cards that is uplifting. Also, representation matters. Visually, it’s appealing to see Black women and little Black girls on the cover of these cards, which is very empowering. Both Black men and women, including myself, are always looking for ways in which we identify and see ourselves reflected in products and media. 

We’re staffed with both black writers and black editors, so a lot of times, when I write things, I can come from my own experiences, think about what I would say to a friend, or what is something that would catch my eye, while celebrating the magic, uniqueness and empowerment of Black women.