Although we don't write the words in cards, we often choose cards with words which we find inspiring or true to reality in some way. The receiver of these cards might be touched by the words written however others might feel that they don't come from the heart as the design and look of the card is sometimes more important.

I think that finding a quote which you feel is right for that one special person will make them feel that bit more appreciated, and even though you might not have written the quote yourself, the fact that you have chosen it especially and written it in your card might make that bit of a difference.

Lucille Ball
“The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.”

This quote will bring humour to your birthday card and one that I'm sure will be appreciated by someone who isn't exactly enthusiastic about becoming a year older. A common worry people face as they reach milestones such as thirty, forty and fifty, is that they feel they are losing their youth. They become desperate to not be categorized as someone who is considered 'old'. This quote starts off serious, giving advice about how they can get out of that category but the vital punch line will definitely bring a smile to their face, act the age you want to be!

Lucy Larcom
“Whatever with the past has gone, the best is always yet to come.”

Although this takes a more serious angle on things, I think it could be very meaningful in a card. Getting older can sometimes cause people to look back on the past and the things they have done before they have reached these milestones however having a birthday and growing that bit older doesn't stop any of these but shows how it can carry on. Remind your friends that there are still many more memories to be built and shared and maybe even the better memories haven't even been experienced yet.

Robert Orben
"The best birthdays of all are those that haven't arrived yet."

This is very similar to the above quote however I chose this because it conveys the message that things are going to get better. Growing up we can sometimes assume that the best birthday are better when we are younger and we have parties with all our friends, cake and presents and everyone fussing over us. When we grow up and gain more responsibility, all that fuss doesn't easily come. We might have gone past our 18th and our 21st birthdays but that doesn't mean the best has already gone. We are still waiting for those birthdays that we still have to come and should value these as some of the best!

Jack Benny
"Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

Birthdays can sometimes become a downer or a bore when the person who is celebrating, doesn't feel like they have much to celebrate. As I said before, reaching forty is sometimes something people would rather hide than celebrate. But everyone else is the same, they may be jealous of those who are still yet to celebrate their 18th, but they were there once; everyone can only experience it once. You should never let your age affect you this much because if you don't mind, then no one else will. If you act and live your life the way you want it too then why should your age matter? Why should it matter if you are 40 not 39? We are brainwashed by people around us and the media about turning old that we expect it to be the worst, but it is far from that.


I think including quotes like these that maybe you feel would suit your friend or family member would make that something personal in a card. Writing it yourself shows you have hand-picked a quote that you feel they can relate to and will make them laugh and appreciate it a lot more.

And there are a lot more quotes where they came from...!