What’s your opinion about sending a person with diabetes a Birthday Card with a BIG DELICIOUS LOOKING CAKE on it?
I always try to send cards to people that refect their personality and when My SISTER of all people sent a BD Card to me with this cake on it, I have to say it really upset me.
Hi Sportster. It’s just a card, with the “birthday” icon. It really means “Happy Birthday on your birthday!”. Myself, I try really, really hard to send appropriate cards, but unfortunately I forget most people’s birthdays!
I think it’s really nice that she remembered to send a card - I always mean to but seldom get to it. Perhaps she doesn’t think of you primarily as being diabetic and didn’t really think about it, not in a thoughtless way
Indeed birthday cakes are a popular stereotyped icon for birthday greeting cards…so us candy canes to Christmas and eggs for Easter. Maybe she thought of you as a “brother, and its your birthday”…rather than a “brother with diabetes”.
Often it takes me forever to shop for greeting cards for family and friends (E cards or physical cards) So many gorgeous ones around and I love them!
So sorry the card upset you, hope you had a great birthday though =)
Do you think your sister sent the card to be malicious, or was the birthday cake on the card just an oversight? Personally, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it and would have been happy that my sister thought enough of me to send a card. I hope you can find it in your heart to cut your sister some slack and to thank her for thinking of you on your birthday.
I agree with others and consder this a nice thoughtful gesture, nothing else. Now on the other hand if it was my birthday and someone bought me a real cake I would be quite upset. However I have been asking for a few years for someone to bake me a meatloaf and stick candles in it. That would be Awesome!
I would think that most diabetics are mature enough to receive the card in the spirit in which it is given - to wish us a happy birthday and just that. I am sure that your sister did not mean to “rub your nose in it!” She wished you a happy birthday and that was, as far as she was concerned, the end of it.
Remember one can make sugar free cakes nowadays!
I never thought twice about getting a card with a cake on it. I’m happy to get any card knowing someone thought of me.
I am sure she would be mortified if she knew that you were so deeply offended, but really we need to grow up and act our age! A cake on a card is symbolic! Same as a Christmas Tree or Robins on a Christmas card! The true meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with pine trees and robins.
First off, let me start off by saying this is why I LOVE “TuDiabetes”. You guys always try to make us see the positive in things and not dwell on the negative and I thank you for that!.
I’m not being a Brat or trying to have a Pity Party about this. That’s the LAST thing I want! It’s just that our family has recently fallen apart. I do however get along with ALL of my family members even though I don’t agree with what some are doing to cause this mess. My mother sent me a similar card and I thought NOTHING of it. Because I know she would never do anything to hurt me. My sister on the other hand is different. Any how, I’m going to take your advice and let it be. No need to add fire to it. There see, I feel better already!!!
I always thought xmas trees stemmed (cough cough) from Druidiic tree-worshiping, Varus and all of that?
Since my sister also has Type 1, I’d know the card was a joke. Then on her birthday, I’d send her a card with an even bigger birthday cake with chocolate chip cookies and candy on the side.
You’re definitely right to let it be. Family dynamics can be crazy sometimes.
My opinion of cake on a birthday card?
I LOVE cake. It’s kind of sad how I have diabetes and I have a intense love of sugar. Sometimes I fire up the food network and watch the show unwrapped and how they make all the delicious junk food that I can’t eat. It’s what my friends like to call window shopping with food. Anyways, your birthday comes once a year so I suggest just enjoying your cake…even if you can only eat it with your eyes. (but seriously, please have some cake…for me!)
Plus, like others have said, birthday cakes are a symbol. I guess other birthday symbols could be used like balloons or candles but cake is always the best one.
I’m sorry it upset you, but I really don’t think she did it on purpose. Before my performances people always like to give me sweets and I know they just want to be nice. If I was in their shoes I probably would do the same. In our culture, food is love and when you give food or even a picture of it, it has an underlying meaning of “Eat this, food keeps you alive and I care for you and want you to stay alive”.
At least that’s my take on it.
ps…eat some cake! 
acidrock23 - look up firstchristmastree.net and you will see that it was due to someone finding a small fir tree growing in the roots of an oak tree. He wanted to disprove the existence of ancient “gods” and brought it home saying something about “let Christ be at the centre of your home”. Long and complicated story, but I first heard of it in Birmingham, UK which had a large Christmas tree in the centre of the square with a plaque explaining the history. I since looked it up. Since I am Latvian I rather like that story!
Hope your cough gets better soon! Lol
Ditto what Gerri said. It never entered my mind that I should be offended. So I’m not cuz it’s just a common birthday picture. I’m Glad that you feel Better about it. I hope that your Family matters work out okay. You sure don’t need that stress.
I go along with Gerri & Terrie on this. It never entered my mind to get upset or offended b/c it’s so common iv a birthday pic.
I definitely got cards with cakes on them… from my grandpa, friends, probably my parents, other people, … all of them knew I had diabetes. I never took it “personally”, actually I’ve never thought about it until I saw this discussion.
To me, a cake on a birthday card just means “happy birthday”. Neither more nor less.
And, to be honest: we are allowed to eat cake, aren’t we?
We don’t know your sister, so we can’t tell if it was supposed to mean anything apart from a simple, nice “happy birthday”. But I would never assume that a person sent me a card with a cake on it to offend me.
We are all different but I would be more offended by a card that clearly addresses my condition - not one that clearly does not.