When I started this business 9 years ago, one of my intentions was / is to challenge and affect change in the retail environment. I realize that sounds pretty lofty - I hear you: “who does she think she is?” - but I get that a lot, so let me tell you who I think I am, and what I see.
Today an entrepreneur that I carry in my shoppe announced she is closing her brick and mortar . . . I felt every single word of her story, but I also hope she realizes how much beauty she brings into the world just by having a beautiful heart. That’s the true loss. The loss is creativity. Of originality. Of soul. That’s what I’m most sad about.
3 years ago about this time I closed my shoppe on 12th avenue and a part of me never left . . . Moving forward is hard especially when it’s circumstances outside of our control and sheer human exhaustion that are making the decisions necessary.
One can only suffer and sacrifice so much. And it’s hard to know when enough is enough because it’s not what we want. What we wanted is what we created.
In the yoga world, we call it holding on and letting go, and knowing when the time is right. It’s a balance of strength in softness, and softness in strength.
ZÖE is another word for life. A friend once asked me - what would life look like without ZÖE? I had no answer even though I have given my business more than I could afford to and took risks without reward when I shouldn’t have. I gave it life. And I gave it my everything.
There is a season for all things. And a reason. If you know me, you know that when I say - I need a day to take care of life - I mean I need a day to come here. To my shoppe. To sit with it. To be with it. To feel it. Like one would a good friend.
But there is a season for all things. This will be my last season. There will be no massive blowout. So please don’t wait for the bottom because we reached that a long time ago.
Sincerely
Lynn