March 4, 2022 — Like all our designs, the one above is even more meaningful when you know its backstory …

Six years ago now, Cardie Nancy McGinn wrote to tell us that a friend had sent her our Meanings of Life dragonfly card and, “It touched me so much that I bought a bunch to send to others when their need for loving support comes.” While thanking her for sharing her story, I added, “Keep us posted. We’d love to hear what you write in all those cards … there may be a new one in the making!” Right back she came, “Well, the first one has already been sent to a friend facing a hard divorce. In it I wrote, ‘You are strong. You are brave. You are loved.’”

We knew immediately what a simply powerful message it is, and thought it would be perfect paired with the hopeful and promising sunflower image we already had from Linda Ruiz. Linda has nearly a dozen Cardthartic photo credits to her name and, since the day Nancy became a Contributing Cardie six years ago, we’ve published 10 more of her messages. But if ever there was a card made for this moment in time, it is this collaboration of theirs.

“The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine,” Contributing Cardie Teresa Bender wrote to tell us a few days ago. “My family and friends throughout Europe are asking people to send electronic sunflowers to show support. 🌻🌻🌻” How about this, cardies: For every one of our various sunflower designs you purchase for loved ones of your own, we’ll donate half the income to Sunflower of Peace, a nonprofit supporting medical and humanitarian aid in Ukraine. We’ll together send the message,“You are strong. You are brave. You are loved.”

Here on Miami Beach, I have a generally joyful beach buddy named Luda, who grew up in Ukraine. She’s such a lovely person and, in the two decades I’ve lived here, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this retiree head to the ocean for a swim nearly every morning, always with sparkling eyes and a warm smile on her beautiful, soulful face. She loves life, this one, going back to the beach every afternoon to walk the shore, swim, and snorkel. Coming and going, Luda will make a point of waving real big up to me parked at my desk on the 2nd floor.

By now I know Luda’s body language well. Stretching her arms to the heavens means, “Gorgeous! Come enjoy!” When she points to me, then motions to the sea, she’s saying, “Time to get up and out here!” When she stands there with both hands to her heart, “We are blessed!” is her loving reminder to me.

Luda moved here 22 years ago after marrying the American man she’d met traveling in Turkey, where she was sourcing items for her gift shop in Ukraine. She still has many close, lifelong friends in both Russia and Ukraine, with a daughter living in Moscow. Probably a month ago now, I asked Luda how she was feeling about the mounting tensions in her homeland. She was not concerned, saying, “My friends there think he’s crazy, but not that crazy. Nothing will happen. He will not invade. They believe it will all be fine.”

Last Saturday, when it became clear that was not the case, I left tulips, a box of chamomile tea, and a little tin of my candied pecans at Luda’s door. Her husband Jeff called her back from a long, somber walk to open the care package and, reading the beached teddy bear card message, “Thinking of you … with a heart full of love and prayers,” she knew right where to find me on a weekend afternoon.

“Jeff was crying, I am crying! Thank you for doing that!” she said as we hugged on the shore while questioning how bombs could possibly be falling from a sky this same pure blue. Luda sent me a text later that night, “I am very grateful for the support, and such beautiful spring flowers put a smile back on my face. It’s so important that the American people support our people! Tonight I’ll drink calming tea and maybe sleep, praying for all of them with my whole heart. 🇺🇦❤️🇷🇺😥”

The next day, outside my oceanfront window, I saw Luda beckoning. She’d brought me a beautiful little bottle of “Vodka made with grapes. Very special. A collector’s item. I want you to have this so you will know how much your support means to me.” I said thank you and you’re welcome and “with so much on your mind, Luda, and so many friends in Ukraine and Russia calling you in distress night and day, how very kind of you to consider me.” Her hands flew to her heart and she said, “I want you to know that Ukrainians are good people, kind and caring people who want only to live in peace. We are people with big hearts. This is from mine.”

Message received.

Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative