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I found where it all started—the birth of the snarky, ageist birthday card.You know, the type of card with a cartoon caricature of a bent-over, crabby old lady, with a sharp wit and bitter attitude. The one that contributes to the ageist messages that over 82% of people over 50 claim to see every day.It started at Hallmark™, a 2.6 billion-dollar company that has made a lot of money tapping into the psyche of American culture and, as a result, has influenced millions of people. And in some cases, in a not-so-positive way. The Birth of MaxineShoebox Greetings, the “tiny...

Once a year, if we’re lucky, we become one chronological year older. It’s a time of reflection, celebration, and if we’re unlucky, we receive an ageist birthday card or two.Birthdays have traditionally been the perfect time to take cheap shots at our friends and family about getting older, courtesy of the clever birthday cards produced by greeting card companies. Birthdays are also the perfect time to recognize and discuss the harmful impacts of ageism.Ageism is any judgment on the basis of age, whether directed at people older than us, younger than us, or our own selves (internalized ageism). When directed...

Do you ever have one of those days where every time you misplace something or can’t recall a name, you declare you’re having a ‘senior moment’ instead of thinking of yourself as having too much on your plate? Maybe you’re the type that sizes up the room whenever you walk into a social event to tally how many people appear to be older or younger than you, even though age has nothing to do with the occasion? Or if you’re like me and wake up with aches and pains, instantly thinking it’s a result of getting older, instead of thinking...

Are you stumped by what to write in a blank card? Use these five steps to learn how to capture the perfect sentiment for any blank card.

The message conveyed in a birthday card does matter. It’s a personal exchange of a sentiment from one person to another, making it powerful. Stop and think before you convey an ageist sentiment to your loved one--on their birthday.