subject: Birthday cards - don't be boring [print this page] Birthday cards - don't be boring Birthday cards - don't be boring
We have all received birthday cards from old friends or loved ones and been disappointed that they have merely been signed. It is good that the sender remembered your birthday at all, but it would have been so much better had they written something inside - something funny, sweet or even a bit cheeky. Do not make the same mistake that they did.
I read somewhere once that "a birthday is an excellent opportunity to recognize and celebrate the life of a friend or family member." And that "birthday card messages give you the opportunity to connect to a loved one or reconnect with someone you have lost touch with". While this is undoubtedly true, I also feel you would be missing an opportunity if you did not tease them a bit about their age! Go on, old people love to be teased about their age. When they were young they teased old people, so it only seems fair. Note that this only works though, if they are older than you, or if they think they are older than you, or if you can persuade them to think they are older than you! If you cannot pull this off, tease them about something else: something they are embarrassed about, or that you have not got them a present, or that they (or maybe you) are tight-fisted, or you don't actually like them.
Note that this approach only really works if you do actually like them. Teasing is usually seen as a sign of affection you would not send a slightly rude message to someone you hardly know, or someone you have a formal relationship with therefore sending a mildly insulting message actually tells the recipient "I like you, and I feel comfortable in our relationship". Usually the recipient will interpret it that way, but do not go too far. Avoid topics that are too personal.
Perhaps you could consider writing a birthday poem for them? It is easier than you might think. Just think of a joke or sentiment and turn it into a four-line verse. Keep to these two simple rules: Rule one is that it should rhyme usually this means the last syllable of the second and fourth lines should rhyme. It would be even better if the first and third lines rhymed also, but this is not compulsory. Rule two is that it should scan this means that the rhythm should sound natural. Proper poets insist on following certain rules, but as we are just writing a birthday card, just check the rhythm sounds okay when you read it out loud. If so then it is fine.
