IT’S IN THE CARDS
small (and let’s face it, if you’re over 9 years old, a homemade card is lame). But where did those folks get the idea? People of that era were likely inspired by stories that go back even further. There are legends that the originator of this holiday tradition was Saint Valentine himself. One story says that on the night before he was set to be executed, Valentine wrote a small letter to a jailer’s daughter. He ended the note with “Your Valentine.” They killed him anyway. Who knows whether that story is true, but to 18th century Europeans and Americans, it was inspiring (because there was no Netflix then) ! So inspiring, in fact, that the entire Valentine’s Day industry began to gain traction. A guidebook called “The Young Man’s Valentine” was published in 1797 to help suitors garner the attention of their love interests through the
This may be the first year in a long time that kids don’t pass out Valentine’s Day cards at school. Going into the new year, the seasonal section of most stores is lined with cards featuring fun characters from superheroes to unicorns. Handing out cards is now a well-loved (by everyone except men) tradition, but have you ever wondered how Valentine’s Day became one of the biggest card-giving holidays of the year? Or the holiday that annoys some people the most? Like many holiday traditions, handing out Valentine’s Day cards goes back centuries. During the 1700s, it became fashionable to trade Valentine’s Day
written word. Eventually, books aimed at women were also published, including “The Lady’s Own Valentine Writer,” which served much the same goal (getting you to spend $7.99 on a card) . These publications, along with young people writing notes to one another every February (or at least posting selfies), have made Valentine’s Day cards an ingrained tradition, and now people can’t get enough of them! Seriously, CVS is like totally sold out. Happy Valentine’s Day!
cards with a short poem or verse. The popularity of swapping cards
only increased throughout the 1800s. Sometimes, people would paint or draw spring-like images on the cards, much more elaborate than what we typically see today, though they were still usually very
Congratulations to Branka Sgroi! One of our clients recently had a precious baby, Nicole, to join big sister, Danielle, over the Christmas holidays. Branka had the unique experience of being pregnant while
CLIENT SUCCESS STORY: CAPRICE COLES
on workers' compensation — stay tuned for a great story on that in one of our upcoming newsletters.
I remember very clearly when Caprice was injured at work and called us. I remember thinking how difficult it would be to try to navigate a livelihood as a server after a significant
Caprice ended up needing surgery and had to work through
physical therapy, and then she changed careers. She’s a real “people person” and works at a bank now, giving great customer service. The settlement negotiations were long and difficult — the insurance company demanded lots of stuff we didn’t agree with — and Caprice stood firm. In the middle of all of this, her apartment burned down, her family moved into a hotel, and she was robbed at gunpoint — so don’t tell me how tough your life has been the last few months. But with all of that, Caprice never got down, never gave up. We were so happy to see her smiling face when she came in to pick up her check right before Christmas.
CapriceandFranksafelymeeting inaCOVIDworldandsmilingunder theirmasks. Caprice and Frank safely meeting in a COVID world and smiling under their masks.
knee injury. I wondered how it would feel to know you can’t go back to work, even though you want to. And we see that all the time with our clients. But what Caprice went through was something. Caprice was working on site at the National Zoo in Northwest D.C. last year — and was hustling, just like she always did. She fell hard while she was working and injured her knee but was also busted up all along her right side: bruises, busted lip, and a knot near her eye. She was in pain but concerned about her job. Just like most of our clients, she was concerned about when she would be able to go back to work.
- Brooke Birkey
2 • DONAHOEKEARNEY.COM
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