It’s April 8th and we are personally finishing up on Week FOUR in Shelter in Place. So much has happened in four short weeks. Four weeks ago, I took our daughter to Berklee College of Music for a tour. We tried to get in to NYU that same week but they had cancelled, so off to Boston we went.
It’s a great school and one she is considering however, while there, it hit me how serious this virus is and could we have picked it up somewhere along the way? All the while, the Hubs worked an event at Trinity College the same week, and a day later, was notified that there were cases at the college.
So, we did what we were told to do and self isolate…. And here we are. Four weeks later, and not only is the wedding world at a standstill, so is the event world, where my husband is employed. But so is the world. Period.
The good news is none of us have gotten sick. I had a strange cough for several days but it dissipated and I guess I’ll never know but I do know this virus has equalized us all. Such as there are no humans immune to this virus, there are no humans immune to the toll this will take either. This will affect us all. There is no doubt about it.
I say this not to sound alarming or pessimistic, but frankly, the opposite. This is what we needed as a human race. Some of you I might lose here and that’s okay! But to those still listening and reading, we lost ourselves a bit. This did stop us in our tracks and force us to slow down. This made us all re evaluate what’s important and who’s important in our lives. This helped slow down global warming! These are all good things.
There will be major obstacles ahead for all of us and it’s time we all come together as a community. I’ve reached out to many of our fellow florists and vendor friends to see how we can help each other. I have weekly conversations with my flower friend and mentor which has helped us both so much. I check up on my Hana Girls to see how they are doing and keep them updated on the changes to the season. I check up on our brides to see how they are dealing with all of these changes to their special day. Some of them are in the thick of it, fighting to save lives and we are so thankful for them. This is my own microcosm of the world which just goes to show how we are all in this together.
So while I am saddened how this has upended our wedding season, and an industry that I love, I am certain that we will be back again in the studio creating beauty. Making something beautiful in this world has always been my mantra for my business and my life. It’s why I do what I do. Weddings are one of the most joyful days of one’s life and we want to make it even more memorable for you. We are in the business of creating beauty and joy and that is more important now than ever before.
Stay well.
Xo,
Yumiko
