What to write in a ‘thinking of you’ card

Inspiration and tips to help you write a great ‘thinking of you’ message

Want to send someone you love a card because they’re going through a busy, exciting, or difficult time but struggling to write your ‘thinking of you’ card? Don’t panic: we’ve got you covered.

As a florist, we have the pleasure of delivering ‘thinking of you’ bouquets’ and are often asked to write up the warm-wishes and notes of love for the accompanying cards. And we’ve seen a lot of notes in our 30 years of business, so we’ve put together a few ideas to help you write the perfect ‘thinking of you message’. First off, how to begin…

Your opening

How you start your card depends on who you’re sending it to. How you start a ‘thinking of you message’ for a close friend or partner will be very different to one you send to a colleague. You could open with one of the classics.

• Dear…
• Hi…
• Hello…
• Hey you…

But if those are too bland for the recipient, why not try a playful, alternative opening? A few of our favorites:

• Ahoy there…
• Hey, how’s it going?
• How goes it?
• Hiya!
• Howdy…
• ‘Sup…

You might want to put a personal spin on your opening if your ‘thinking of you gift’ is for someone from the same town or country. For example, ‘G’day’, ‘Hey yo!’ or ‘Aye up’ could work.

Of course, if you’re short on space then dive straight in with the recipient’s name. (Or pet name if it’s for your partner, a family member, or close friend.)

The meaty bit in the middle

Alright, we’ve reached the hardest part. This is where you need to communicate the main thought, feeling, and reason for your message. Fortunately, we’ve come up with three golden rules to make writing a ‘thinking of you message’ easy.

1. Keep it short and avoid rambling (which can lead to saying something wrong or diluting the message). A sentence or two is often all that’s needed.
2. Keep it simple. Go for clear over clever or funny. And don’t feel you have to use poetic, flowery language if that’s just not you.
3. Keep it appropriate. Remember who you’re writing it for and the type of relationship you have.

Now you know the three most important things to keep in mind, let’s look at building the message depending on who you’re writing to.

‘Thinking of you’ messages for a partner

Writing to a partner isn’t always as easy as it sounds, especially if it’s a new relationship. But even if it’s just that work keeps you apart for weeks at a time or you’re not an overly affectionate couple, it can still be tough. It’s OK. If you’re feeling the pressure of writing something amazing or heartfelt, remind yourself of the second golden rule: keep it clear and simple.

If your reason for sending a little something to your other half is to let them know you care, writing ‘I wanted to let you know you’ve been on my mind a lot lately,’ or, ‘Thank you for being wonderfully, fantastically you,’ is enough.

Are you sending the note to mark a special occasion? If so it’s important to acknowledge the event in the main part of your message by mentioning the birthday, anniversary, work-related awesomeness, or the test or exam they’ve got coming up. The rest of the message can be built around that. For example, do you want them to have an:

• awesome
• special
• memorable
• romantic
• relaxed
• wonderful
• lucky
• fun-filled day?

These are just a few ideas. You can pick any adjective you want. Be playful!

Next, is there anything you hope they get to do or achieve out of the day? Some examples include:

• eat loads of cake
• be spoiled rotten
• treated like the gem you are
• achieve your goals
• ace [the thing they’re doing]
• look and feel fabulous.

Following this simple formula helps you piece together a message quickly and easily. Here are a few of our favorite examples for inspiration.

• Babe, Wishing you an awesome birthday and hope you’re spoiled rotten.
• To my Smart Guy, you’re awesome! You’ve totally got this test sussed so go ace it!
• Hey yo sweet cheeks! May your birthday be filled with cake eating and champagne drinking!

‘Thinking of you’ messages to a friend or family member

When you’ve not seen a friend or family member for a while, sending a note is a great way to reconnect and (hopefully) get the conversation going again. You might want to address why you’ve not been in touch (work, life, a global pandemic), but what’s important is not blaming them for the lost connection.

Some phrases you can use for inspiration when sending this type of message are:

• It’s been too long…
• Sorry we lost touch. Let’s start fixing that.
• Miss you lots. Thinking about you often…
• Been thinking about you. What’s new?
• It’s been ages, but I’ve not forgotten you!
• Sorry you’ve not heard from me recently. Know that you’re still in my thoughts.

If your ‘thinking of you’ note is being sent as a gesture of support because your friend or family member is going through some tough personal stuff, then a sensitive, empathetic message that balances the issue at hand without causing upset might be the best approach. Something like:

• I know you’re going through a tough/rough time…
• Sorry you’re having a difficult time…
• Life sometimes really sucks. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with [X].

You might follow up with a, ‘I’m here if you need me,’ or ‘Let me know when you’re ready to talk or get together,’ but only if you’re genuinely able to give them the help offered. And if you don’t want to directly mention what’s going on at all for any reason, you don’t have to. For example, you might write:

• Sending positive vibes your way. 
• You got this!
• Sending the combined positivity of unicorns and glittery rainbows your way.
• Just a little reminder: You’re stronger than you know!
• This card and gift represent a big, squeezy hug… 
• Thought you could use a little pick-me-up…

These also work well if your friend or family member is unwell. And if you’re feeling brave you could always go for something funny, but only do this if you and the recipient are on the same page when it comes to dark humor and you know they’ll take it the right way. Remember that written messages are far more at risk of being misinterpreted than anything you say to someone in person. Proceed with caution. 😬

• I always knew that [beer/cheese/wine] would catch up with you.
• Pfft! Death can’t touch this!
• You 1-0 Death!
• You didn’t have to go and [X] just to stay in bed. You could have just told us you fancied being lazy!
• Note to self: Don’t mess with [NAME]. You’re one tough cookie that not even [X] could take down!  

How about something special for just the two of you?

Every relationship has inside jokes and special references. Pet names, quips and phrases that hold significance to you and the recipient can add meaning. Maybe there’s a line from a film you both adore and watch together a lot, or a song lyric from your go-to karaoke duet. The ‘thinking of you’ message could be as simple as just writing out the quote or lyric because you know it will bring a smile to their face as it’s connected to something positive.

Signing off

Great news: you’re nearly at the end of writing your ‘thinking of you’ message! All that’s left now is the sign off and your name. As with your opening, there are quite a few options for closing your message.

• Miss you…
• See you soon…
• Catch you around…
• Thanks…
• From…
• Love…
• With love (and well-wishes)
• Your friend
• Cheers
• Best

If you want a response, why not sign off with a proposition? ‘Let’s catch up soon,’ ‘How about a call?’ or ‘Let me know when you’re free for coffee’ are all nice ways to keep the conversation going. But again, only suggest catching up if you mean it. Putting the suggestion in your card then not following through can come off as insincere.

Know what you want your thinking of you message to say?

That’s great! Now you just need to pick out the thinking of you flowers you want to go with your message. And if you’re still not sure, remember those three golden rules:

• keep it short
• keep it clear and simple
• keep it appropriate.

Remember you  haven’t got to get it right the first time. Take the pressure off by writing it in rough first and then fine-tune it until you’re happy. Or, as an extra tip, if you find speaking what’s on your mind easier than writing, record it as a voice message using your phone then write down what you’ve said. Good luck and thinking of you. We know you’ll ace it!

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