Garth lives in Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. He’s a keen gardener and he and his wife feed a family of magpies daily, host a beehive for a native Australian stingless bee [stingless? who knew?!], and they have established a worm farm for converting kitchen waste into fertilizer. Their gardens include apples, mandarin, papaya, blueberries and a range of other edible plants, and he told us that their “blessings are many and real.”

Two years ago Garth read about Postcards to the Front in the Australian press, after which he “immediately wrote to Peter [at Australia branch] to see how I might help. He wrote back and the rest is history.”

For Garth, this project “just ticked all the boxes. First, I have an irrational hatred of bullies – a hangover from public schools, and Putin is just a thug and a bully. Postcards are something that Putin can do nothing about. No missiles can stop us writing. And yet, while writing a postcard is such a small thing to physically do, it makes such a huge difference!”

Further, he shared, postcards are “economically efficient – such a relatively small cost for such a high return. I thought the idea was genius!”

Adding, “I could do the writing alone at home and even design my own cards. It was just an ideal opportunity” to do something positive to support Ukraine.

Garth felt that “the variety of [postcard] designs available commercially was unimaginative.” In part, he believes, because fewer people buy and mail postcards these days.

He then put himself “in the position of a Defender, sitting in the trenches wanting anything to take her/his mind off the hell around them.”

These thoughts led him to make a list of all the Australian ‘categories’ that he could think of, such as Australian birds, mammals, nasties (like spiders and scorpions), cities, plants, dogs, currency, and stamps, etc. Then, Garth collected photographs from free image sites and laid out the cards in MSPowerPoint. Sounds simple, eh?

Not! Postcard design takes creativity, effort, time, and it requires confidence in a good printer – and a bit of cash!

Garth’s card designs (samples below) suggest that he has found the right balance amongst each of these attributes, as well as … well, the variety that he so desired!

As with other postcard warriors who’ve attempted postcard design, with Defender needs front of mind, Garth was thrilled to see images of Defenders holding one of his cards. Three recently, in fact.

However, he admitted, with a hint of irony, “I didn’t write any of those cards that I could see. But I was so delighted [to see them at the front lines] that I sent the images to friends and family. The idea that some ordinary little cards I put together had crossed the world … to bring a smile to perhaps a platoon of Defenders … it’s impossible to express the joy it brings me. My eyes sting a little just thinking about it. It is this love that will defeat savagery and fascism.”

About the act of card-writing, Garth says that “… writing a card is like giving any gift. The content isn’t important; it’s the effort and thought which counts.”

And so, he has some advice to first-time postcard warriors:

“Rule #1: There is no such thing as a bad postcard to the Defender receiving it. Love is universal and not conveyed by words alone. Do your own thing with genuine goodwill and love for your fellow human, and all will be well, I promise.”

When writing his own postcards, Garth reminds Defenders that they are not forgotten; they are not alone; that millions of caring people across the free world are watching and genuinely care.

“I try to be upbeat and encouraging by focusing on courage and victory, family and home.”

All things that any of us can relate to.

Garth has “this silly Hollywood picture in my mind of a tired, grubby, and cold Defender huddled in her freezing dugout who reaches into her pocket and pulls out a postcard to read it for the 100^th time, then smiles at the familiar words and warms her mind on an imagined holiday with her family lying on a sunny beach in Australia. I like the idea of that. But, it is probably a tad romantic.”

No, not romantic. It’s just what the doctor ordered for a Defender after a hard day!

Garth’s insight into postcard writing for front line Defenders comes from a stint in the military.

“I understand the value of a letter received while deployed in the field. I hope the Defenders are given some idea of the love that many people have expressed by writing and sending a card to them, and that they see that effort as an expression of global unconditional support for the cause of a free, united Ukraine.”

If you know someone who says they’re thinking of writing postcards to Ukraine’s Defenders, but they just haven’t found the time – nor the postcards – perhaps share this wisdom and kindness from Garth with them:

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is such a universal concept that can be applied to every human interaction to make a more peaceful and productive world.”

And if you need cards, both Canada branch and Australia branch can provide them to you. Free.

Imagine yourself in the terrible position of having to defend your country, your home, your family, your life. Garth reflects that “if I were in their place [at the front lines in Ukraine], I hope that my gratitude would be immense for a simple card from a supportive, positive person from across the world.”

All good reasons for Garth to write over 500 postcards to Defenders, as well as to share dozens of his postcard creations with others to write.

Garth is humble about his efforts, so we’re grateful that he shared about them with us. Generally, he’s content with the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. He also likes the notion that his postcard messages offer “the little emotional lift that Hope gives when we hope for the joy of another person.”

Additionally, he values “the pleasure of doing a good turn anonymously, without any wish or desire for any return or acknowledgement. Postcards remind me that giving is itself a gift.”

For anyone who still sits on the fence of supporting Ukraine, Garth offers this: “I can readily imagine one of our giant neighbours deciding that all Australia’s resources should be theirs. The invader would want to impose their way of life and political system on me. Personally. They would imprison my political leaders and dictate policy from afar. My country would be controlled by bayonet. I would like to think that the free world would support our democracy and freedoms as we support Ukraine now – with everything at our disposal. Because, as history teaches us, the line has been drawn and we must defend it or lose all to dictators and fascists.”

Russia is not the only country greedy for resources and flexing muscle. Perhaps we are in a moment in human history where the line truly has been drawn. Where the actions of Russia, and the responses from the rest of the world, will embolden other big bully assaults. Or, perhaps, this is the time when individuals and nations declare that this sort of behaviour is not on. For humanity’s sake. For the planet’s sake.

Postcards are not missiles nor bayonets. As Garth sees them, they’re uncomplicated and inexpensive gifts of pure love and kindness, from the heart, human to human.

Your postcards make a difference in a Defender’s day. As Garth summed it, “The card you write today may be the last thing the Defender ever reads on this earth. What will they read if you don’t write it?”

Please continue to tell others about this project.

Ask family and friends to write cards. Involve your children and grandchildren.

Share our website – postcardstothefrontcanada.com. Subscribe.

Need cards? Write to us in Canada at postcardstothefront.canada@gmail.com

We’ll send you postcards to write to Defenders. FREE!

If you have some written cards ready for us to ship to Ukraine, here’s our address:

Postcards to the Front

P. O. Box 184

Millbrook, ON   L0A 1G0 * Canada

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Your cards do make a difference