May 21, 2024 — With Memorial Day coming up, I’m remembering as a girl watching my mother carefully arrange the bouquets she’d take to the little country cemetery down the road. She’d place one on the grave of the maiden aunt who so lovingly raised her, and spend a few minutes there. Then, with a hand on her heart as if saying her own pledge of allegiance over every one, she’d move from headstone to headstone, placing flowers for veterans she may not have known, but admired, appreciated, and mourned all the same.

Last week, we read the following thought piece by writer Danielle Charbonneau and found it so powerful that we asked her permission to share it with you. As you’ll see, Danielle is quiet kindness and generosity personified. She wrote:

“In the past few years, I’ve attended quite a few funerals and memorial services. One thing became abundantly clear to me while listening to people talk about their lost loved ones. Rarely, if ever, did they talk about the person’s career. Nor did they even talk about the person’s accomplishments. They talked about the person’s unique personality traits, their little quirks and idiosyncrasies, the little gestures of kindness they showed, or the memories they helped create.

“They talked about how Joe braided his niece’s hair on her first day of kindergarten; how Peter loved to fix things with Duct Tape; how Grandma prepared her cinnamon-sugar toast; how loud Dad listened to his records on the stereo; or how Grandpa always cruised with the windows down, listening to Frank Sinatra. They talked about memories of times spent together, fishing in the creek, cracking jokes around a campfire, or swimming at the beach. They talked about the little things. About how the person showed up in their lives.

“So lately I’ve been asking myself not what I am doing but, rather, who am I being? Am I being loving, compassionate, and kind? Am I showing up for my friends and family? Am I being selfless, and making small loving gestures to the people around me? Am I joyful and seeking gratitude for what I have? Am I being patient and empathetic with others? Who am I showing up as in the world?

“During these strange and challenging times, my shift from doing to being has been revelatory. It has helped me brave each day with a greater sense of purpose: to be a loving presence in a struggling world. I now find myself bringing a plate of leftover lasagna to the security guard in my apartment building, picking up groceries for my neighbor, and reaching out to old friends I haven’t talked to in ages.

“Putting more emphasis on who I am being in the world — rather than what I am doing — has allowed me to have less end-of-the-world anxiety. And I know that, when I have died, these are the things people will remember.”

With thanks to Danielle as well as my mom for setting us all up for a more meaningful Memorial Day weekend, let me share the closing line of a recent email from our CEO Ana. “Let’s turn off the news and, instead, look for beautiful people, places, movies, books … anything that will lift us up.” Please tell us, what are your favorite ways to lift people up these days?

Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative

May 21, 2024 — With Memorial Day coming up, I’m remembering as a girl watching my mother carefully arrange the bouquets she’d take to the little country cemetery down the road. She’d place one on the grave of the maiden aunt who so lovingly raised her, and spend a few minutes there. Then, with a hand on her heart as if saying her own pledge of allegiance over every one, she’d move from headstone to headstone, placing flowers for veterans she may not have known, but admired, appreciated, and mourned all the same.

Last week, we read the following thought piece by writer Danielle Charbonneau and found it so powerful that we asked her permission to share it with you. As you’ll see, Danielle is quiet kindness and generosity personified. She wrote:

“In the past few years, I’ve attended quite a few funerals and memorial services. One thing became abundantly clear to me while listening to people talk about their lost loved ones. Rarely, if ever, did they talk about the person’s career. Nor did they even talk about the person’s accomplishments. They talked about the person’s unique personality traits, their little quirks and idiosyncrasies, the little gestures of kindness they showed, or the memories they helped create.

“They talked about how Joe braided his niece’s hair on her first day of kindergarten; how Peter loved to fix things with Duct Tape; how Grandma prepared her cinnamon-sugar toast; how loud Dad listened to his records on the stereo; or how Grandpa always cruised with the windows down, listening to Frank Sinatra. They talked about memories of times spent together, fishing in the creek, cracking jokes around a campfire, or swimming at the beach. They talked about the little things. About how the person showed up in their lives.

“So lately I’ve been asking myself not what I am doing but, rather, who am I being? Am I being loving, compassionate, and kind? Am I showing up for my friends and family? Am I being selfless, and making small loving gestures to the people around me? Am I joyful and seeking gratitude for what I have? Am I being patient and empathetic with others? Who am I showing up as in the world?

“During these strange and challenging times, my shift from doing to being has been revelatory. It has helped me brave each day with a greater sense of purpose: to be a loving presence in a struggling world. I now find myself bringing a plate of leftover lasagna to the security guard in my apartment building, picking up groceries for my neighbor, and reaching out to old friends I haven’t talked to in ages.

“Putting more emphasis on who I am being in the world — rather than what I am doing — has allowed me to have less end-of-the-world anxiety. And I know that, when I have died, these are the things people will remember.”

With thanks to Danielle as well as my mom for setting us all up for a more meaningful Memorial Day weekend, let me share the closing line of a recent email from our CEO Ana. “Let’s turn off the news and, instead, look for beautiful people, places, movies, books … anything that will lift us up.” Please tell us, what are your favorite ways to lift people up these days?

Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative