Oh so grateful

Being that this is the week of thanks, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write about our many blessings. Hopefully these facts are a reminder of how fortunate we are to live such a wonderful life.

Envious of others with their newer cars or bigger homes?
- 1.2 billion people in this world live on less than $1/day.

Do you have a pity party when you have a cold?
- More than 38 million people around the world are infected by HIV/AIDS.

Does your child complain about going to school?
- Around the world, 77 million children do not go to school because their parents can not afford fees, books or uniforms.

Did you leave the water running this morning when you brushed your teeth?
- 1 out of 7 people in our world do not have access to clean water for drinking, cooking or washing.

Can you imagine watching your child suffer, without access to a doctor?
- Every year 10 million children die before their 5th birthday, nearly all of them from causes that could have been prevented.

Have you ever gone to bed hungry?
- Around the world, 1 person in 7 goes to bed hungry each night.

Do you complain about needing a bigger house or a better neighborhood?
- More than 14 million refugees and internationally displaced people reside in tents and temporary shelters.

This is not meant to bring you down or to make you sad, but more as a reminder of the many reasons you have to be happy.

These past few weeks have been tremendously stressful for me personally, as I have struggled to get our production back from the factory. It seems to be one thing after another - a hurricane, a delay in customs, sizing issues...I know this is business and I expect to solve problems, but I was a bit overwhelmed these past few weeks. Thanksgiving couldn't have come at a better time for me. It is such a nice reminder, and quite honestly, a kick in the butt for me to appreciate the many blessings in my life. So, I am a little stressed at the moment...There are people in this world, millions of them, that are stressed about feeding their children, finding water to bathe in, fighting a disease without modern medicine on their side. How bad could it possibly be if our product arrives a week or two late? Don't get me wrong, this is my business and I will do anything to keep promises and make our customers happy - I just have to remember that life is so much bigger than I.