"Thank you!" is just not enough!

Our Mother's Keepers will be celebrating its third anniversary soon!  I can hardly believe it...it seems like just yesterday we were painting the store (the first time, that is!), commissioning our mural, and ordering our opening stock.  In the past three years we've achieved so many of the things we set out to do...like collecting and donating over $1,200.00 and other goods to worthy causes around the world through our "Featured Cause" program...and we've even accomplished some things we didn't originally plan to do...like foster (sometimes also have tested, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered) and adopt out 9 homeless cats!  For these achievements and the ongoing success of our business, we thank our customers, supporters, mentors, friends, and family...yet, merely saying "Thank you!" doesn't seem adequate to express my gratitude.

I truly feel blessed to be part of this community; to meet, serve, support, share with, and learn from all the people I interact with each day.  I enjoy hosting events at the store, so that I may continue expanding my own knowledge, while helping others learn along with me.  I'm happy to feature items from local crafts-people as well as diverse groups of crafters from around the world.  I'm honoured when people come to our shop for the thoughtfully selected products and services we offer, whether it's an eco-friendly reusable produce bag, a natural locally-made soap, or a sage stick and smudging instructions.  Again, "Thank you!" doesn't seem enough.

I've written before of my desire to "do good" (see my "Mother's Musings" post in this blog), but I don't think I've mentioned that I was inspired by daughter and the selfless deeds she's performed from a young age...from her generous acts of charity, to her concern for the environment, to her compassion for animals.  Like any mother, I hope I've been somewhat responsible for helping guide my daughter to be the loving, caring person she is, but I'm also grateful to her, for making me want to be more and do more myself.  She is the reason I want to help make the world a better, happier place, and why the focus of our store is to promote peace, nurture the soul, care for the planet, and show compassion to all who inhabit the earth.  "Thank you!" is definitely not enough there.

~ Leesa