January in the shop might just be our favourite.
While other months bring their own unique joys, January brings the necessary calm and rejuvenation needed to sustain the busyness of the rest of the year. Much in alignment with the natural world, January offers the time and space to go at things slowly and intentionally, and with great creativity and attention. In the shop, we can get the displays set up just right, daydream and thoughtfully plan our space and the year’s offerings, and have conversations at length with everyone we see every day.
Yesterday I had a few of these conversations - one with a fellow business owner to organize an event, another with a local budding author about to release her second book. A third was with a former teacher who I hadn’t seen in twenty-five years, who walked in looking for a gift for a dear old friend.
She proceeded to share that she and her friend had initially crossed paths fifty years ago in teacher’s college and they became fast and close friends. Ever since then, for the past fifty years (and despite seldom seeing each other and while navigating the typical hills and valleys in their personal lives), every Sunday they both handwrite each other a note, slip it into the mail on Monday, and wait for the other’s letter to arrive on Wednesday morning. Not a lengthy note, usually just a sheet or card, but a profound gesture extending far beyond the confines of the envelope demonstrating their dedication to their friendship.
How wonderful is that?
I remarked how rare and special their tradition was; and while she humbly dismissed it as being not a big deal, I caught her eye and we both silently acknowledged that, yes, it was indeed a tremendous and remarkable thing.
We’ve been fortunately privy to so many stories like these over the past 13 years while you search for the perfect gift to represent and celebrate the relationships in your lives, or when you excitedly and unexpectedly find something that reminds you of memories and people in your past. We hope to share more of these stories with you this year, as stories of shared experiences, hopes, feelings, and dreams unite us all. And, that’s something we need a little bit more of these days.
After hearing this story, I’m inspired to pick up a pen. 🤎
Until the next one,
-Meghan
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