As we honor our veterans on this Veteran’s Day, I can’t help but think of my grandfather Vincent James Blandina who fought in World War II including the Battle of the Bulge. He never really talked to me about his time there and understandably so. I once brought up the idea of a family trip to Italy, his parents’ home country, and he quickly refused. He didn’t want to go back to the place where he experienced so much devastation. I realized a depth of his humanity that day that I’ll never forget. Somehow still he remained a very kind-hearted, optimistic and driven man with a great sense of humor. Now that I have a nearly 15 year old boy, I can’t even imagine the impact something like that has on a young mind, heart + soul. Our debt + gratitude to all veterans is beyond words.
A photo of my grandfather with a letter to my grandmother on the back.
I recently wrote a letter to our community that I wanted to share here as well. I wrote it 2 days post election but I’d argue it’s also relevant on Veteran’s Day. We’re a nation of thoughtful, complex and powerful people all with a responsibility to do our part. I think our veterans so beautifully exemplify that and set an example we should all appreciate and examine. I know I couldn’t in good conscious name this company after my grandfather and not consider and honor all that he stood and fought for.
Below is the letter if you care to read it.
Our Power + Responsibility
I wanted to reach out to our community with a reminder of our power and in turn our responsibility. It's been an emotional few days and months but one thing that's kept me hopeful and even excited is the knowing that we have so much power to create the world we want to see.
I can't stress enough how much our purchases + actions can create real change. Almost every day as women we open our wallets and make a choice. I believe it's our responsibility to look closely at the choices we make and the consequences they have.
If you're concerned about the environment, choose to buy at least some of your food from regenerative, soil enhancing farms or at the very least from a local grower who uses traditional, chemical-free methods to grow their food. When you buy clothing, choose natural fabrics grown without soil depleting chemicals and buy less. When we wear our polyester leggings to rallies against global warming while eating vegan fake meat laced with the same glyphosate that shrouds our 12th t-shirt made of fibers from fields of dying soil 8000 miles away + sewn in some land just as distant, it's no wonder we're not seeing the world we want.
If you're concerned about women's rights, buy from small women owned businesses and businesses that choose to pay a living wage to their employees. When you look at the world of fashion in particular you realize most of our choices exploit the people who make our clothing- most of whom are women. If those women made more money they'd have more power, no? When we display our “hauls” of cheap clothing in one post + talk about the violation of women’s rights through laws + pay inequality in the next, it’s no wonder we’re not getting the results we want.
If you're concerned about the economy, shop made in the USA. When you buy made in the US, you’re not only supporting local communities but also dying industries that we need as a nation to truly thrive. Keeping jobs, skills + small businesses alive is in my opinion part of our duty as citizens. Imagine a world without…
If you're concerned about a safe + stable world for you + your children, make the small daily choices that you can to cultivate kindness + compassion for yourself and in the home you make. Spend time in nature, get involved in your community and talk to your neighbors. Chances are they want all the same things for their families that you want for yours.
Sending love + lots of hope!
Heather
