Barbara was celebrating her birthday.

She received a congratulatory postcard from her Sunday School teachers and classmates.

The postcard must have been presented to her in person, or sent through an intermediary, as Barbara’s full name and her address are not inscribed.

Thus, we have no clues about the girl who was now a year older.

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The face of the postcard is a bright drawing of children on a playground.

The youngsters are smiling and laughing as they whoosh down the sliding board.

Under a printed title of “Birthday Greetings for You!”, a few lines appear.

“The Birthday wishes sent your way

Could not be more sincere than this –

May love and health and friends

Fill all your days with cheer!”

In the lower right of the face is the oft-quoted verse from the Gospel of St. Mark – “Suffer the little children to come unto me….”

https://www.bible.com/bible/1/MRK.10.14-16.KJV

I was attracted to the postcard because it reminds me of similar drawings in story books or elementary schoolbooks for children of the fifties and sixties.

Here, the children appear healthy and well-dressed – there are no signs of poverty, isolation, or neglect.

The things that concern us about children today are conveniently absent in these cheerful drawings.

The style of this postcard suggests that it was printed circa 1940.

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In other postcard stories, we have noted how closely many children were connected to Sunday School for many decades of the 20th century.

This pattern that has not been sustained in recent years as fewer families consider church membership as a primary connection to the neighborhood or the community.

Barbara seems to have appreciated the remembrance as she preserved the postcard in excellent condition throughout her life.

One hopes that her birthday was a happy one and that she derived support an pleasure from her Sunday School friends.