A student of mine was telling me about a tough situation she was facing.
Her brother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer, had just finished some intense rounds of treatment, got early release from the hospital, and came home to a water-damaged house—which involved all kinds of challenges, not the least of which being her brother-in-law was supposed to be recovering in a clean and sterile environment.
So this student went to the house to help in any way she could and saw her sister break down and start crying—and this was the sister that rarely cried. She was the strong one… she was the rock… she was the one who did the supporting.
…And one of the toughest moments was when she couldn’t even hug her crying sister. She had to socially distance to minimize the spreading of germs—and had to essentially stand there and watch her strong sister breakdown.
…And so what did she do instead?
…She thought about how her sister was very much a “card person”—you know, the type who would send hand-written cards at every excuse of a holiday and celebration to those closest to her.
…And thus came the idea to “card flood” her sister.
She personally messaged 40+ people asking them to write a card to her sister offering their support and kind wishes. And asked if they would send the card by the end of the week. This way, her sister was flooded with a version of support and kind wishes that she could receive… and in a form she deeply resonated with… and could keep close to her heart throughout the entirety of her trying time.