20 | FEBRUARY 13 • 2020 

N

ancy Zucker has a frequent habit of 
making other people emotional. 
It’
s not a bad thing. It’
s just that 
they are caught off guard and touched when 
she gives them a small heart with a print-
ed inspirational message, such as “You are 
enough,
” “Believe in yourself” or “You are 
appreciated.
”
Once, Zucker handed one to 
a janitor she saw mopping the 
lobby of an office building. He 
stared at it for a long time and 
finally said, “I can’
t believe this. 
No one has ever said that to me 
before, and I’
ve worked here 
for 25 years.
” He asked her to 
come to his workspace where 
she watched him tape the heart to the top of 
his desk. 
Another time the West Bloomfield resi-
dent came across a medical receptionist who 
looked annoyed and acted impatient toward 

Zucker and her mother during the check-
in process. Zucker felt the need to give this 
woman a heart. When she did, the reception-
ist put her head on the desk and began sob-
bing. She was so distraught that a coworker 
quickly approached them. This receptionist, 
who could barely speak at that moment, 
simply held up the heart. Once composed, 
she told Zucker she was having the worst day 
and “this just made it so much better.
” 
More recently, a West Bloomfield police 
officer penned a touching Facebook post 
about his experience of receiving an anony-
mous heart.
On Jan. 2, he started his ninth consecu-
tive day of work. This officer was tired and 
missed being with his wife and baby, espe-
cially during the holidays. That morning, 
following his first run, he returned to his 
patrol car and noticed a small blue heart on 
the driver-side window. 
“It is little gestures like these that make us 
feel better because we are happy to see people 

actually care about us and our wellbeing. The 
officer wrote, “To the citizen who placed this 
note on my car, you have made my day.
” 
The officer’
s post was subsequently shared 
by the West Bloomfield Police Department. 
“It is wonderful to see people such as this 
that lift people’
s spirits with something so 
simple.
” their post said. 
It’
s responses like these, which happen 
almost daily, that led Zucker, mom to three 
grown sons, to turn her heart-giving hobby 
of almost seven years into a full-fledged busi-
ness. In March 2019, she officially launched 
Say it with Hearts and began selling pock-
et-size tins containing 48 card-stock hearts 
with different motivational messages. 
After years of getting so much satisfaction 
from giving the hearts either anonymously 
— as she did with the West Bloomfield police 
officer — or by handing them to others, she 
decided it was time to come up with a busi-
ness plan so others could experience the joys 
of “saying it with hearts.
” 
Karen Gordon Rosenberg, a geriatric 
social worker, stumbled across the Say it with 
Hearts tins in a local store and purchased 
a box with the intent of giving them to her 
children and co-workers. 
“I think affirmations are a wonderful 
thing, and these hearts are a great way for 
people to be expressive,
” said Rosenberg, 
who, ironically, met Zucker through a pro-
fessional connection and later discovered she 
was the founder of Say it with Hearts. 
Zucker said she first got the idea of giving 
written affirmations to others after becoming 
certified in Healing Touch and reiki, both 
forms of energy healing. Much of her work 
is with residents at Fleischman Residence in 
West Bloomfield. This line of work, Zucker 
said, opened her heart and her ability to 
be more in tune with others through their 
words and body language. 
“I began to notice that people needed to 
be uplifted and acknowledged, which is dif-
ferent than praise because it’
s an unexpected 
moment of positivity,
” she said. 

Say it with Hearts can be ordered at 
sayitwithhearts.com or purchased at Jen’
s Gifts 
of Love in West Bloomfield, Jewish Senior Life 
boutiques on the West Bloomfield campus and 
Miller House in Commerce Township. 

Nancy Zucker

Jews in the D

Say it with Hearts

PHOTOS COURTESY NANCY ZUCKER

Small inspirational messages leave
a loving lasting impression.

JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

