Okay, so I'm not the "Mother" in the title of my store (do you know who is??), but I am a mother, I'm musing, and I like alliteration.
I've been in a musing mood lately, thinking about the business: what products to keep and/or add, what to let go, what to focus on more, what to do less, how to better build community and connections in my town...and beyond. One of the things I decided to do was to host events here at the store, events of the informative, healing, spiritual, or soulful nature. A recent healing event I hosted at the store inspired me to refocus and revisit my thoughts and intentions, including my professional ones. I wrote and posted the following on the store's Facebook page, and I think it sums up these thoughts and intentions fairly well:
"I opened this store nearly two years ago with the desire to do good. To support both local and other deserving artisans and craftspeople around the world. To provide products that are good for the soul and the planet. To encourage and help maintain peace and good health in body and mind. To promote awareness of important issues and support worthy causes near and far. To assist in creating and sustaining a sense of true community within my community, regardless of the various personal, cultural, and spiritual demographics that reside within said community. Right now, in front of me, there is a display of walking sticks; one features a Celtic cross, another has an eagle totem. To my right are Buddhist prayer malas, next to some rainbow pride bracelets. To my left is a shelf, upon which sits a wooden box adorned with a cross, near another box decorated with a five pointed star. In order to stay in business, of course, I must sell these (and many other) products, but in order to promote this sense of universal community that I feel compelled to do, I draw on ideologies and strengths from many corners of the globe, much like the varied nature of my merchandise."
If you add to that statement my desire to help show compassion, give care, and a new life to some of society's abandoned, abused, unwanted, or unloved animals, then I think it would be a great synopsis of my intentions. Sure, some may (and have) state(d) their belief that I shouldn't have a "store cat" or "showcase" the occasional cat or kitten for other organizations at my place of business, but as an animal lover, I feel compelled to do what I can to comfort these creatures and give them or help guide them to a better life. It's just all part of my desire to make this world a better place...to improve and sustain ("keep", if you will...) our nurturing Earth (much like a "Mother" to us all)...
...because we are all Our Mother's Keepers.
~ Leesa
