Some Thoughts From a Small Business Owner…

Yesterday morning I woke up like many of you, seeing the election results and feeling angry, upset, discouraged and defeated. I wanted to hide in a hole somewhere, but instead made my way to my little shop. Upon arriving there, I discovered a young man who had overdosed on heroin in the plaza out front. I quickly called the paramedics and they were luckily able to save him and thanked me for calling. Recovering from that trauma, I then had a lovely customer come in to gift me some locally made chocolates and a thank you card for hosting a community event this past Monday evening. She said that she thought I would need a little treat today. A couple hours later a long-time customer stopped in to chat about the election and we discussed the importance of creating spaces of solace and refuge in uncertain times. She bought a candle and told me she was going to work on turning her home into a refuge that afternoon and thanked me for creating a space of comfort in the community. Later in the afternoon a first time customer and total stranger came in and we ended up talking about the election and the state of our country. The conversation ended with a hug and little pep talk about the future. 

This is more than a shop filled with sparkly little treasures that, let’s face it, none of us REALLY need. This is what owning a community space looks like. It’s a place where all are welcome. Where people come together to celebrate or commiserate. A safe space to escape and appreciate some beauty when you’re feeling down. While I really felt like moving to the woods and giving up on people yesterday morning, a few hours later I was feeling a bit uplifted, or at least feeling that I wasn’t alone. I love and appreciate my community. And in times like these we need to look for support from our communities, whatever that may look like. Sending you all love. Be kind to one another and yourselves. If you need to chat or have a good cry, you know where we’re at