January 01, 2021 2 min read

Welcome 2021! Although today is a mere 6 hours away from last night, it already seems very different.  I am delighted to welcome the new year, but I am also grateful for the way 2020 put a fine point on what’s important.  I got a new, first hand appreciation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  Those foundational things like food and air, health and safety – stuff we took for granted—became foremost in my mind.  That next level—social needs—the need to belong, make social connections and be in relationship with others—this was what I missed most.

I talk about it a lot from the perspective of the shop – You are always welcome here.  Sure, it’s a tagline, but it’s part of the brand promise.  We are here to help fulfill our customers’ social needs.  Crazy for Ewe is a place where you can belong, meet people, and make connections.  And for going on 17 years now, that’s what we’ve tried to do.

I always thought of that promise as something we offered our customers, but during this last year, I have come to realize how important it is to me—how much I value and depend on you the others in our community for my own social needs.  I miss having the a crowd around the table.  I miss saying there’s always another chair, and plenty of room here.It’s been hard, and I have felt the lack--but it’s not forever.

I do see an end to all of this, thanks to the researchers who have developed the vaccine that will put our lives right once again.  We will all be vaccinated, and we will have big in-person classes and we will go on retreat. We will knit and laugh and share our selves and our lives together around the table.  I promise.

I am so looking forward to this all more.  It will take time, and while we wait, I hope you will continue to be part of the community through our virtual offerings, weekly Podcast, and more. 

I believe 2021 will be a happy new year, not because it will be perfect, but because we will choose to focus on everything that’s good. 

Happy New Year, my friend

Warmly,

Ellen

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