Before I say anything else, I want you to know how incredibly thankful I am that you have made an intentional decision to support Scoop Marketplace. I appreciate every sale, every shoutout on social media, and every encouraging word.
It’s not often that I am at a loss for words, but I truly am not sure what to say about what is going on in our world right now. If you know me at all, you know that I am transparent, open and vulnerable. I always try to be as real with you as possible, so I will tell you right now that I am feeling a bit scared and my heart is hurting.
In general, I have felt optimistic over the past few weeks. It is spring and the sun is coming out and we have new people joining the Scoop family every day! My family is healthy and life is good. All of those things are true and beautiful and keep me grounded.
What is also true is that I have a very empathetic heart and it aches for all of the people whose lives are being turned upside down. With every school closure, and every event cancellation, and every increase in the quarantine recommendations, I think about all of the lives affected.
The parents who no longer have childcare and therefore cannot continue to work. The children who are hearing and absorbing all of this terror and now have the trauma of their routine and daily structure being flipped on its head. The people with compromised immune systems who feel isolated and fearful. And all of the individuals whose livelihoods are at risk because no one is out patronizing their businesses.
We had a customer come in yesterday and the first thing she asked was if things had been slow. She commented how sad it was seeing small businesses close and that she knew she wanted to make it a priority to come and visit us this week.
Thank you.
Thank you for being intentional. Thank you for realizing that you are building the world you want to live in and it is up to us as a community to find ways to support the small businesses who are suffering right now.
It is unusual for me to share anything that comes from a place of fear, so please be assured that I am speaking out in love. I often believe that the media is designed to induce panic, and that is why I have mostly tried to keep my blinders on and keep moving forward. However, I know that this is not a time to ignore the reality that we are facing. I have no idea what’s going to happen, and I am still optimistic that it really won’t be that big of a deal and it will all blow over soon. I am the type of person who loves structure and routines and can’t wait for things to get back to “normal.”
In the meantime, let’s find ways to pour love and hope into our communities.
I will start a conversation on Instagram and Facebook so we can all share ideas, but here is a short list to get you started:
- Stocking up your pantry? Buy a few extra items to take to your local food bank.
- Don’t feel comfortable visiting your favorite small business, visit their website to purchase a gift card, or call them up to ask how you can best support them right now.
If you are well and healthy and circumstances allow, please visit your favorite local businesses. It will make their day.
- Finding yourself with a lot of extra time on our hands while staying home? Hop on social media and give shoutouts to as many awesome, small, local businesses as you can. If it’s your thing, create an entire blog post about them and share it with everyone.
- Bring joy and encouragement to someone’s day by sending a quick text or email.
- Find the good and magnify it.
As my friend Annika so wisely said in her Instagram Stories this week, wash your hands and try not to stress. Stress weakens your immune system and leaves you vulnerable. Laugh. Play. Practice gratitude everyday by simply taking a brief moment to be where your feet are (get totally present), take a deep breath, and appreciate five to ten things that are amazing in your life.
Thank you for being part of what we are doing here at Scoop. We have a powerful mission and a big vision for where we are headed and we are so thankful to have your support to make it all possible.
With love,
Stephanie