{Everyday Inspiration} Perspective…
Have you ever had a day (or a week) where you felt overwhelmed and the balance between being a small business owner and a mom was a little out of whack? Well, that was me in a nutshell last week. While I enjoy the challenges that both motherhood & a small business can bring, the combination can sometimes leave me questioning my ability to maintain a healthy balance which can bring on momentary self-doubt. Funny though, I received an email that changed all of those feeling in a split second.
I really can’t mention enough, how many wonderful people that I have met through klt:works and how many great emails and pictures that collect in my inbox. I have been working with a store called Natursutten, in Denmark for over a year now (maybe even two, come to think of it). Anne-Dorthe is the owner and I have gotten to know her a bit through emails and she has a son a about a year older than Sayer. Natursutten has carried all of my organic and eco-tees and her son has owned many as well. Anne-Dorthe emailed me last week with a little note that said, “Your owls are doing very well in Africa!”. Attached were photos of two little, smiling girls, Hadija and Faidha. Her daughter had just been visiting a friend in Africa who volunteers at a “childhome” called, “The Baobab Home” (for kids without parents). She had taken a bunch of clothing with her to donate (the Baobab Home is run on donations) and there happened to be a few outgrown klt:works owl tees in the mix. While I know that Anne-Dorthe thought I would like these photos – I am sure she didn’t anticipate what it all would mean to me. I still don’t have words for the emotions that I feel, myself.
I don’t want to drone on and on about my inner thoughts and what makes me tick. But one thing I will share is that I am a bleeding heart. When I was in graduate school, studying for my MFA, I really struggled with how selfish it felt. I used to watch “ER” and feel like I should be helping people rather than just making art. My wise thesis advisor told me to just watch “Friends” instead. After graduation, I had many jobs in the social/special services fields (working with at risk youth, teaching in detention facilities, working with people with disabilities). It wasn’t until I started klt:works that I really had the revelation that I could still “help” and make people happy by doing what I love- by making things. I still struggle with the fact that my little donations to various organizations can’t really change the world, but I guess I will leave that to Oprah, and those that can really afford to do so. In the meanwhile, it makes me happy to have a connection to the Boabab Home and I look forward to sending off a box of some of Sayer’s outgrown clothes and toys along with some klt:tees. Now, when I have those overwhelming days, I can look at the pictures of Hadija and Faidha and gain a little perspective on everything.
