Hit by layoffs? There's a card for that

'Take pride in all you've accomplished,' Hallmark urges with its new take on sympathy

With an economic downturn squeezing bottom lines, we welcome back a periodic national ritual: the layoff.

But a lost job is no reason to avoid eye contact with the economic casualties who got the short straws. Those who are laid off are traumatized and in need of moral support.

Fortunately, for every awkward situation, there's a sympathy card to do the talking when words fail. Layoffs are no exception.

Sending a card presents an opportunity for you -- still among the ranks of the employed, for now -- to demonstrate your bonhomie and business etiquette.

"There's a need for it," said Patti Tilley, manager at Daphne's Hallmark in Crabtree Valley Mall. "With the economy the way it is, it's not a bad idea."

A layoff card from Hallmark reaffirms that the recipient has deeper value than the job title that's now a fading memory: "I hope you'll take pride in all you've accomplished and realize how much you have yet to give," the card reads. The subtext: We care about you, even if the system doesn't.

But you don't need a card specifically for layoffs, downsizing, rightsizing, buyouts, terminations or reorganizations.

Many card stores don't sell cards designed for one of modern society's biggest downers. Like fortune cookies, sympathy cards are wondrously ingenious in delivering generic sentiments that seem to suit every occasion: "When bad things happen to people like you ... ." You'll be missed ... ." "Excelling isn't easy ... ." "Every challenge is an opportunity."

There are also blank cards for those who want to write their own thoughts. And you don't have be maudlin. Sometimes humor is the best weapon against misfortune, said Tim Flood, a professor of management and corporate communication at UNC-Chapel Hill.

"The problem people sometimes face is these life-changing moments are so profound, and they feel so brutal at the time," Flood said. "Humor is absolutely OK. Less pity and more positivity. More looking forward than dwelling on the past."