What to Write

Some of our Card Warriors favorite messages to spark ideas about what to write in your own cards!

What type of card are you looking for messages for?

    • I hope your birthday is as wonderful as you are.

    • Wishing you a fantastic/wonderful/spectacular birthday full of fun, cake, and all your favorite things.

    • I hope your birthday reminds you how special you are!

    • Thank you for being a wonderful friend. You’re truly one worth celebrating!

    • Wishing the happiest of birthdays to the wonderful-est of kids/friends/people.

    • I hope you get to do something fun to celebrate!

    • Happy birthday to a friend I couldn’t live without!

    • Happy birthday and all the best to you in the year to come!

    • It’s a pleasure to know you…and to wish you a happy birthday!

    • Celebrating you is my favorite thing to do.

    • Thinking of you on your birthday and wishing you everything happy.

    • Today is all about you! I hope it's filled with all your favorite things.

    • Wishing you a one of a kind, spectacularly fun birthday.

    • Thinking of you on your special day! - Card Warrior Sherry

    • Wishing you the best day. Hoping you have lots of smiles and happy memories. - Card Warrior Sally

    • Hoping you have lots of fun, happiness & love. - Card Warrior Sally

    • Hope you make memories to last all year. - Card Warrior Sally

    • Just a note, from me to you. Sending lots of birthday wishes (or insert what fits) and birthday hugs. too! - Card Warrior Julie

    • You are an awesome (woman/person/etc.) and I hope you have a fabulous day! Love, smiles, and hugs! - Card Warrior Amy

    • Happy anniversary to the wonderful couple. Here’s to many years ahead.

    • Happy (9th) anniversary! I hope the next (9) years are as wonderful as the last!

    • Here’s to another year of being great together!

    • Hope you find time to look back on all your sweet memories together.

    • Happy (4th) Anniversary! Here’s to the next (4) years and beyond!

    • Warmest wishes to the two of you on your (X) anniversary.

    • Another year, another great reason to celebrate!

    • Congratulations on another anniversary that proves how blessed you are with each other.

    • My deepest condolences on your loss.

    • My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

    • May their memory be a blessing.

    • Wishing you peace and strength. - Card Warrior Christy

    • May you find comfort in knowing others care. - Card Warrior Christy

    • Just a little note to say I thought of you today.

    • Sending you a mailable hug to remind you that you matter and I am glad you are here.

    • This is a mailable hug to remind you you matter, you are important, and everything will be okay.

    • This isn’t a card. It’s a hug with a fold in the middle.

    • Thinking of you now and always.

    • Thinking of you today and every day.

    • Wishing you strength through this difficult time.

    • I am here for you always.

    • This too shall pass.

    • Sending Smiles from (Your Location) - Card Warrior Penney

    • Sending happy thoughts your way! - Card Warrior Shauntaye

    • Just a friendly hello from me to you! - Card Warrior Shauntaye

    • Wishing you peace and happiness always! - Card Warrior Charlene

    • Sending you happy thoughts. Wishing you all the happiness in the world. - Card Warrior Sally

    • You're special, wonderful, and amazing. - Card Warrior Sally

    • Always find that light inside. I can see it shining. - Card Warrior Sally

    • Wishing that you find a reason to smile today! - Card Warrior Sheila

    • May this card bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart. - Card Warrior Kathy

    • Love, Smiles and Many Hugs. - Card Warrior Loraine

    • Keep Smiling and Stay Strong. - Card Warrior Loraine

    • Wishing you a day full of reasons to smile. - Card Warrior Cara

    • May your day be as wonderful as you! - Card Warrior Julie

    • Sending oceans of love on the anniversary of your birth! - Card Warrior Lorraine

    Other Ideas

    Your favorite motivational/positive quotes.

    Bible verses or religious/spiritual quotes (if the recipient is a believer in that religion).

    Get Well Messages

    In general, I only send get well cards for surgeries and injuries as many of our recipients are chronically ill. All of the messages above are perfect for both encouragement and get well cards.

    Some more get well oriented messages include:

    • Wishing you a speedy recovery.

    • You will be back on your feet in no time.

Want to add a message idea of your own? Please send it in a message to Random Acts of Cardness and we will add it to this page!

    • Happy (month)! I am looking forward to (seasonal activity). I can’t wait!/It is my favorite part of the season.

    • Happy (month)! Last month my family and I enjoyed (activity). We celebrated (family birthday, event, etc.).

    • I am sitting here watching the birds outside my window. I see a cardinal, blue jay, and a pigeon. The blue jay is such a bright, pretty blue!

    General Tips for Sunshine Mail

    1. Talk about your day, your daily life, wish them well (please, no get well sentiments for an illness, just general well wishes for a happy life).

    2. Don’t mention any illnesses, yours or theirs. Focus on the good things and think of it as an escape for the both of you. It’s incredibly healing for the sender to focus on only the good especially during a particularly difficult month, or season of life.

    3. Tell them jokes! I can’t count the number of times we have heard from a parent that the jokes in the cards are their favorite!

    4. If you have children, they are more than welcome to write to the Sunshine children, draw them pictures, or add their own personal touches like stickers and doodles. Please check the Sunshine list prior to sending stickers, even those stuck to the cards, as some children aren’t able to have them. Stickers are never, ever required, but are a fun way to add something extra to a card.

    5. Have fun with your cards! This is the perfect excuse to embrace your inner child. Draw, doodle, add stickers (see above), make things out of construction paper, add googly eyes or other embellishments to store-bought cards, go wild with colors, the sky’s the limit!

    6. Don’t stress. These are just tips. Anything and everything you can send to a child is one more smile out there in the world. The kids love what they get, no matter what it is.

  • New Baby

    • Wishing all the best for you and new baby.

    • All the best to you and your new bundle of joy.

    • Wishing you the best as your family grows.

    Graduation

    • Congratulations on your achievement!

    • Your hard work has really paid off. Congratulations!

    Wedding

    • Sending you wishes for a lifetime of love and happiness.

    • I wish you all the best as you begin your lives together.

    • May the years ahead strengthen the love that you share.

    Thank You

    • Thank you for thinking of me during a very difficult time. Your support means a lot to me.

    • Thank you for taking the time out of your day to send me a card. I appreciate you thinking of me.

  • Coming soon!

    Feel free to submit message ideas!

  • Coming soon!

    Feel free to submit message ideas!

What do I write to someone who is chronically or terminally ill?

This is one of the biggest questions I get when it comes to what to write in cards and I get it. It’s hard to know what to say. Illness is such a tough and scary thing for everyone.

I wouldn't change much about what you write to a terminally or chronically ill recipient versus a different encouragement request. General well wishes, happy thoughts, and silly jokes are all great. They are people just like all of us and not much should change about the cards you send to them.

These cards are an escape from the illness they are battling with. Talk about things that make you smile: something funny your pet or child did, a song you've been listening to on repeat, or a TV show you've been binge watching. In general, avoid talking about their illness. This is not to say you should hide from it or avoid the subject, but try not to make it the primary focus of your card.

Please avoid themes such as "get well soon" or messages like "you can beat this". These messages are wonderful and said with nothing but the best of intentions, but you never know if someone will receive a card telling them they can beat their illness the day their doctor tells them they will be entering hospice or their disease has progressed. We can't know where they are in their treatment, so it is best to avoid these types of messages.

As with all cards, please avoid mentions of prayer or religion if the recipient has requested non-religious cards.

Looking for more message ideas?