I have always had a compassionate heart, so I began making handmade cards with my personal collection of cardstock paper to be a glimmer of light in another’s drab day. On the back of every card I would write LLL for Love Little Lucy. I started modestly by making birthday cards for all of my closest friends. In modern friendships, it is easy to blow off the simple things like telling someone they look nice or wishing them a happy birthday, but those small instances can shift the moods of others. I never realized how much the miniature moments in life matter until my card company began. Not only did passing out my handmade cards bring joy from the little things, it also created a sense of importance in the recipient. In a world of constantly trying to fit in, it is refreshing to be recognized as special and significant. My card company has taught me to never miss an opportunity to point out the minute things that help make others feel wanted.

 

      Crafting cards for my friends grew into creating cards for my mom’s friends, cards for new players joining my dad’s baseball team, and eventually, cards for my entire eighth-grade class. In seventh grade, I had a new idea to make a personalized birthday card for each of my classmates. I collected all the dates of my classmates’ birthdays, wrote them down and in the summer, I got to work. Each card included a design specific to the recipient’s personality and a handwritten note. I thoroughly enjoyed passing out the cards and seeing my classmates’ reactions. My unique project let me do two of the things I love most in the world: be creative and see the spark of joy in someone else’s eyes.

 

      Making cards is a truly gratifying experience because the process allows me to be kind and generous in a way that is unique to me. Each card is a figment of my imagination, a piece of myself, that I give to another, even if the recipient does not realize it. This talent, discovered in my youth and carried through my life, has proved to be a touching gift. It is so special to know that something I created with my own two hands is cherished by another.

 

      Ultimately, the discovery of a catchy phrase from my younger years has allowed me to bring joy to the people around me and unleash my creativity in so many ways. To this day every card I make has the signature LLL on the back of the folded cardstock, ready to make another’s day all the more exceptional.

                                                                                               

Love,

                                                                                                Little

Lucy