No lie — Covid-19 and closing the store to our family and friends was the most challenging thing we faced in over two decades of running The Bead Gallery.
It was different. Jason, Michelle, and I weren't seeing each other daily, weren't in our everyday sync where we could read each other's minds and body language. We joked that it was what it must be like working for Amazon — and honestly, I would have been fired by now for all my bathroom breaks and tech errors.
We learned Slack. We Zoomed. And we tried our best to become a mail-order business — except we couldn't seem to stop giving the same in-person customer service through a screen. Every order got a personal touch because that's the only way we know how to do it.
Truth is, we were getting tired. Worn from working double time for half the return. The stress of rent and payroll bit at us constantly. And yet, I had never felt more fortunate in my life. The love, kindness, and support we received daily from our customers and community kept us going in ways I can't fully express.
Beaders don't take it easy. Otherwise we'd buy everything made for us.
No one was prepared for what happened. But this crowd — all of you — are not the type to take the easy way. You jumped in with creativity and innovation when everything else was uncertain. That resilience is what this community is made of.
We came through it. The store reopened. Classes came back. The hugs came back. Looking at it now, those months taught us something we already knew but needed to feel again: this place only exists because of the people who walk through the door. Every single one of you.
If you read this far, you most likely have the same mindset and heart as we do. Never give up. Never surrender. When it gets hard, ask for help. When it takes too much energy, step back and regroup. There's always a solution, even if it's not obvious. Be kind to yourself and do something wonderful for yourself daily. Just keep moving forward — because tomorrow will be better. And if not, wait one more day.
With love and aloha, always — Jamie, Jason, and Michelle.