# What gift can I put in a card for a patient? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468 "2013-12-16T15:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468/1 "2013-12-16T15:39:23Z")
My friend’s mother is in the hospital. She’s been ill for some time. Today my friend posted on Facebook that her mother would be grateful for Christmas cards sent to her in her hospital room. I’m going to go out this afternoon to get her a nice card. Can anyone think of anything I can enclose that will be welcome and useful, and still fit in the envelope? I’m willing to pay extra postage, but I’m thinking to keep it to an envelope rather than a package. But if anyone has any great ideas, I’ll consider them. I don’t know this woman. I don’t think she’s religious, and I don’t know what kind of food she’s allowed to eat. I don’t want to send her any knickknacks to clutter up her bedside table, like little figurines. A CD of nice relaxing light classical music? Can anyone recommend one that is readily available, because I would need to buy it today. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468/2 "2013-12-16T15:45:09Z")
How about a gift card to something she likes? Starbucks, Amazon…restaurants. Those are perfect inside a Christmas card. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468/3 "2013-12-16T15:54:43Z")
I don’t know what she likes, and frankly I don’t know if she’s going to get better. It doesn’t sound too good. But I’ll look at the gift cards that are available at the store and see if something looks appropriate. Maybe one for a store like toiletries and her daughter can get her some lotions. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468/4 "2013-12-16T15:56:18Z")
Stuck in bed all day? Book voucher seems like a good choice. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468/5 "2013-12-16T17:34:22Z")
Does she have a tablet or similar device? you could get her an iTunes gift card so she could download music, movies of her choice. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468/6 "2013-12-16T18:33:53Z")
On the other hand, if she’s a reader of old-fashioned dead-tree books, a nice bookmark might be something she could use right there. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468/7 "2013-12-16T19:11:59Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > On the other hand, if she’s a reader of old-fashioned dead-tree books, a nice bookmark might be something she could use right there. That was my first thought - a nice bookmark. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gift-can-i-put-in-a-card-for-a-patient/676468/8 "2013-12-16T19:17:20Z")
I’ve seen bookmarks at bookstores that have a scene that appears to move when you twist it up and down.