2020 is serious about taking things away.
I find myself grieving losses on several fronts right now. 
Fortunately, I am through enough of the pain to make art again.

These cards are still here for me
as much as it seems like a gift for someone else.
The idea of giving things away is healing.
I read "29 gifts" by Cami Walker many years ago.
I call to the process often when depression comes to my house.

Grief comes in all forms - not just death.
The world is grieving so many things right now.
Even if you don't have a big event happen,
there is so much everyone is dealing with.

This project is here to remind me that I can feel safe
and I can feel love
even if love isn't where I had hoped it would be.

So I will continue to send out cards
to anyone who wants to provide an address.
And I will continue to write
"I hope you feel safe and loved"
because as I write it,
​I am reminded that I hope I feel that way soon.

onward

I sent my 200th card today
from addresses collected
on this site
i want to send 200 more...
and 200 after that...

24% of my cards have a comment
(most don't)
this one said this:
"This is a friend if mine
who will be heading to Denver
next week to take her adult son
to have a heart transplant.
Your card will at least make her smile."
(goose bumps and misty eyes)

When I started this project in February
sending out some of my hearts
as valentines
to some people i know and love...
I didn't expect that I would be sending cards
to people who really do need to feel safe and loved.

I am humbled
and so honored
to do this little thing...

and I do hope it brings
​some joy in this time between.

so grateful that I can...

A friend wanted a few of my cards to send out. 

So I pinned a few to the door.
she picked them up.
She left me a significant check.
(gulp)

so i decided to use that "donation"
​to buy LOTS of stamps (200 actually)
and then decided I would offer up cards
on a facebook group for the parents at our middle school.

I HOPE I can give away 200 cards before school is out
​to kids who need a smile 
because we could all use some joy in the mail right now.

I have received a 3 thank you notes for my cards. 

I am so happy to get mail that isn't junk.
These little cards remind me how fun it is to get real mail.

I just love this little project.
​Hope you do too and keep those addresses coming!

We all feel "safe" in different ways.

Some of us are in our homes with work from home jobs.
Some of us have no roof over our heads.
Some of us wait in a line at a food bank we never thought we would need.
Some of us have taken pay cuts while our business is closed.
Some of us haven't worked for weeks.
Some of us are missing out on the celebrations of our once in a lifetime moments.
Some of us can feel the stress of the world in our bones. 
Some of us are home schooling our struggling children.
Some of us will get sick.
Some of us are single moms and dads going to work every day. 
Some of us just want a return to normal.
Some of us miss our friends.
Some of us are high risk and won't leave home until there is a vaccine. 
Some of us just want our jobs to open back up so we can support our families.
Some of us filed for unemployment for the first time in our lives. 
Some of us will die.
Some of us had to close our business and will not recover financially. 
Some of us have sheltered with our abusers.
Some of us wait for our kids to return from the co-parent house. 
Some of us are in pain from a medical procedure we had to postpone.
Some of us are in nursing homes and haven't left our rooms. 
Some of us have opened online and hope we can weather the storm.
Some of us have filled out all the paperwork and wait. 
Some of us are dealing with things yet to be named.
​
Some of us are feeling safe in some moments.
Some of us are not feeling safe in most moments.

All of us are riding the waves.

The journey
to a return to normal begins again.
And I fear the return
is too fast for the virus
and too slow for the economy. 

Our "New Normal" is being
​navigated
and negotiated. 

Whatever your definition of "safe" is,
I do hope you are finding it,
in whatever form that takes. 
​I hope you can choose your safe. 

I tap into my feeling of "safe"
by making cards.
I write the words
"May you feel safe and loved"
as my mantra to myself and to
"some of us."
​
It isn't much, 
but it gives me control 
of something.
​
If you would like a little reminder
of that feeling of safe
for you or a loved one
sign up for a heart card
made with love
at beautifulgrunge.com. ​

someone emailed me
from my contact form on ginabarry.com
asked me if i sent them a card.

I told them I did - but said that someone else gave me their address
and signed them up.

They don't know me and I don't know them.
I kinda like this project being a little anonymous...

I got a letter in the mail with 40 stamps.
no note, just stamps...
whoever sent them,
thank you for supporting this little project of mine.