Every fall, I have two “big deals” to prepare for: the start of the school year and the flood of birthdays among friends. While the former is surprisingly easier to manage as September creeps closer (perhaps because my major’s four-year plan is practically laid out for me already), the latter is what ignites my worries. What gifts should I get my dear friends? How can I possibly beat last year’s gift? Where can I access gift supplies as a college student who is barely scraping by with a few BRBs and meal swipes? These kinds of essential questions are unending.
In my vain attempt to avoid these worries this year, I managed to order gifts on Amazon mid-August in preparation of the fall birthday season. I thought I had everything planned out– I either shipped the gifts straight to my off-campus friends or had it sent to Rose for me to hand-deliver around campus; I even made sure to include the gift receipt option (just in case). But once I arrived on campus, I realized I had forgotten one crucial part of every birthday present. The card.
Regret! Shame! Fear! Questioning life! What will my friend think of a mere gift with no card? In what world can a gift with no card beat last year’s gift? And where can a college student who is barely scraping by with a few BRBs and meal swipes access card-making supplies for this catastrophe?
Amidst my frantic search for quaint birthday card stores in Ithaca, I received the iconic weekly email from Rose Scholars that we all know and love. And behold, a card making workshop with GRF Seema was happening on Saturday.
Joy! Excitement! Courage! Questioning life! My fall worries had been relieved and I finally had the (very diverse set of) materials and inspiration to make personalized, full-of-love birthday cards to accompany my friends’ gifts. Thank you, GRF Seema, for bringing your creativity and organization to the workshop. Now I can continue into this fall season without my annual birthday-season fears weighing me down! What a fall to remember.
Wait a minute… does anyone know where I can get envelopes?
I was giggling while reading your post because it reminded me so much of my high school English class. My teacher spent the whole time teaching us how to make words “alive”. “Use vivid verbs!”, as she would always say. Your post was such a nice piece of writing she would heavily appraise. I wish I have the talent too, my writing is dry as the Sahara desert.