I just received a very touching thank you call from a customer in Florida who ordered from us in November of last year. She called simply to say thank you but conveyed much more than just gratitude. Last year she lost her mom and had struggled with how to create a meaningful remembrance of her. She ended up using some of our seed paper and while I do remember speaking with her, I don’t remember what she ordered. What she left me with today was an indelible moment that makes what we do so rewarding and rich.
I often tell people how fortunate I am to be working in the wedding industry as we are helping people who are in one of the happiest times of their lives. Most of our customers are super excited, super happy and very fun to work with. The seed paper that we make is celebrated by our brides as a way to spread an earth friendly message with each wedding invitation. They are also used as wedding favors and fun ways to engage the guests at our customer’s events. As more people learn about seed paper we are more and more commonly printing memorial cards and sending heart shapes for celebration of life events. The pain of loss is often evident in the tired and aching voices of these customers. Just as I get charged up from the excitement that a newly engaged couple brings to us; I am also touched by the grief of our customers who experienced a recent loss.
The woman today gave me chills with her sharing of the happiness and gratitude she felt. She spoke of the rains in Florida that had to be kept off of the tender shoots and how most but not all of the paper was successful. She told me of the family members around the country who watched the flowers grow and thought of her mom and who shared those thoughts with her. One orange flower in particular struck her as a message that brought emotion to her voice that made it difficult to speak. I was touched at how meaningful this was for her and how she was moved to give us a call.
I do have a wonderful job. The bittersweet truth of it is that without the pain and grief of loss; the joy of love, family and friendship cannot feel as rich. They are two sides of the same coin and I am grateful to this customer for reminding me of it.
Kevin