Finding the right words when a coworker or your manager is out sick sits in a strange middle ground, somewhere between a card you’d send a close friend and an email you’d send a client. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit staring at that gap, trying to figure out how warm is … Read more
Most graduation cards could have been pulled from a box of twelve at any drugstore. The sentiment is right, the words are harmless, and nothing about the message belongs to the actual person holding it. What to write in a graduation card does not have to be complicated, but it does have to be specific, … Read more
There are two kinds of strength messages, and most of the ones you’ll find are the first kind: “you can be strong,” “you’ve got this,” words aimed at someone who’s still in the middle of something hard. This is the other kind. These are 65 inspirational messages about strength for someone who has already been … Read more
“Thank you for everything” might be the least specific thing you can say to someone, even when you mean every word of it. The appreciation messages for him below are organized by what you’re actually appreciating, because what he does, who he is, and how he makes you feel are three completely different things to … Read more
A good night prayer isn’t just a softer way of saying good night. It’s a way of putting the day down before you sleep, the parts that went well and the parts that didn’t, and trusting that the night doesn’t need to be carried the same way the day was. Below are 65 good night … Read more
“Get well soon” is a phrase built for colds, sprained ankles, things that pass. When someone you love is facing cancer or another serious illness, that phrase can land wrong, sometimes painfully so, because it quietly implies a timeline that may not exist. Below are 60 messages built for that reality instead, organized by where … Read more
Graduation messages work best when they fit the exact place they are going and the exact relationship behind them. I would not write the same thing on a cake that I would write in a parent’s yearbook note, and that is the point. Start with the format, the sender, the tone, or the milestone, then … Read more
The right words of wisdom to share are never one-size-fits-all. What lands for someone just starting out on their own is not always what lands for someone standing at a crossroads, starting over, carrying hard-won experience, or looking back on a long life with clearer eyes. Here you will find wisdom organized by the actual … Read more
Most romantic appreciation messages say the same thing in slightly different words: thank you for loving me, I’m so lucky, you’re the best. They’re not exactly wrong, but they’re general enough to apply to almost anyone, which means they rarely land the way you want them to. What I have found works better is naming … Read more
Funny good night messages have a different job than funny good morning ones, and most lists treat them like the same thing. They’re not. A good morning joke has to wake someone up. A good night joke just has to send them off with a smile, which means it can be softer, sillier, and a … Read more
Get well messages for someone having surgery split into two very different jobs, even though most lists treat them as one. The night before an operation, a person needs steadiness and a little courage. The days after, they need patience and proof that someone is still paying attention once the worry has passed. Below you’ll … Read more
“`html Today your son turns 18, which means two true things are happening at once: legally, he’s an adult, and to you, he’s still your child. Most birthday wishes don’t know what to do with that, so they pick one truth and ignore the other. What follows are 18th birthday wishes for son that hold … Read more