FEB 23, 2018 – Here at the close of an unthinkably sad week for families in Parkland, FL, and another unsettling one for our nation, you see a very different type of card from us. Prompted by one of your fellow Cardies, it’s FREE for the asking. Just add-to-cart a quantity equal to the energy you will devote to making your voice heard, and we’ll get a supply right out to you. Now here’s how these postcards came to be …
Last Thursday, after we sent the eblast that referenced How Mental Health Professionals Speak with their Own Children About School Shootings, we heard from many Cardies saying simply, “Thanks, I needed this!” And then we received a far more impassioned email signed, “With kindest wishes, Gloria Dougherty.” She’d written, “I am a long-time fan, and I buy Cardthartic wherever I can. In the past year I’ve sent your wonderful Worry Dolls card to at least a dozen friends suffering in these hard times. But your message today has left me feeling hollow.
“While I applaud helping parents/grandparents to offer comfort and solace,” Gloria wrote, “I wish you had also encouraged each to speak up, to call on Congress and local legislators to stop this madness. And, once the parents/grandparents have spoken up, they could share with the children, ‘This is what I did to try to stop this.’ We all need to speak out,” she said, and signed off with, “FYI, Sirhan Sirhan was a neighbor, walking by my front door on his way to kill Robert Kennedy. That was in 1968; I’ve been fighting this a long time.”
Wow. Admiring how forthright, committed and caring she is, we emailed Gloria back right away. I shared with her that Cardthartic generally takes more of a supportive vs. activist role, like fulfilling the request of our longtime Connecticut Rep Donna Dillingham who — before the rest of the nation woke to the devastating news out of Sandy Hook — called to ask that we please overnight a donation of as many condolence cards as we could to our Retail Partners in the area, so the cards could be given away. “Many, many will be needed,” Donna so rightly said that horrific day.
Last Friday, Gloria replied, “Thank you for your thoughtful and prompt response. While sad, I appreciate it. I know I am not alone, but feeling helpless just the same.” On Tuesday came, “A few days have passed since our email exchange. Still feeling despondent, I went to the Post Office and purchased 150 postcards … I addressed them in batches of three for our members of Congress, and then sent a heartfelt message to neighbors and friends: “Would you like some postcards to send your own words to Congress re: gun control/safety?” Well, the cards have literally flown out of my hands — people are asking for 5-10 sets! Tomorrow I will go buy more. Our notes may not accomplish anything but, when I see that I am not alone, that gives me hope.”
Then yesterday she reported, “My postcard project is now up to 250 sent. And counting! I think the participation shows that my friends and (I hope/pray) most people feel desperate to do something. The gun issue is just huge and feels overwhelming, but I hope there is a crack of light shining here. Kindest wishes and hopes for us all.”
Reading that, we saw a supportive way to run with Gloria’s idea whose time has come. Our talented Creative Director Valerie Sebring tackled it as a labor of love, and created the design straightaway. We called Gloria to find her “writing another batch of 50!” and she was good enough to have this pic snapped and sent to us within the hour. And our forever printing partner, Premier Print Group, offered to split the high cost of same-day production, so we could have these ready for you now. Here’s an important link: Who Is My Representative.
Thank you, Gloria, for inspiring us to follow your lead. Cardies, we welcome you to do her and every beloved child in America proud.
founder & chief creative
