I recently celebrated a birthday and was overcome with the thoughtfulness shared by so many friends. I was sent online greetings and beautiful hand-made cards and gifts. I received yoga-inspired figures, flowers, a birthday balloon so tall it towered over me, and a handwritten recipe straight from “Aunt Gerri’s Kitchen” with a bag of vital ingredients.
Brigitte's birthday
My work family gifted a jar of tiny handwritten origami notes with inspirations and reasons they love me. I will cherish it always (and struggle to fold them back as beautifully as they were received!)
The gift from my friend Sophia came in a most captivating box. Covered in silk, it was crowned with a tapestry lid and a silk tassel pull. At first glance, the beautiful green jade amulet inside portends tranquil elegance. The choker is adorned with red, yellow, and white jade gemstones making it comfortable and unpretentious – a style that has always resonated best with me.
Brigitte, Greyson (her son) & Sophia in Ningbo
I was touched by Sophia’s gift on many levels. Sophia is a “work - friend” – she helps us to manage some of our productions. She lives in Ningbo, China, and for obvious reasons, we’ve not seen one another in a couple of years. I was touched by the fact that she not only remembered my birthday but sent a gift with time enough for it to arrive to me in Tampa.
In Chinese culture, jade symbolizes prosperity, success, and good fortune. It’s known as “the stone of heaven ” and it’s said that “gold is valuable, but jade is priceless”. Her gift was not only a lovely necklace to be enjoyed but also blessings for a prosperous and loving future for me and my family – a much greater gift to be treasured.
"Gold is valuable but jade is priceless"
From time to time, we’re asked if Faceplant is Made in America. Like those who ask, I am concerned about international chasms that seem to be growing deeper.
I worry for the future of our environment and our nation. I’m grateful that we live in a country that allows us creative freedoms; where we’re free to use the best evidence available to run Faceplant Dreams in a way that balances the respect we feel for the environment, the economy, our community, and our neighbors and friends.
The friends with whom we choose to work share our values. As my grandfather would have said, they put their pants on the same way we do... one leg at a time. Like many of us, they don’t always agree with their elected officials or even their neighbors. But they share our respect for employees, quality of life, and family.
They ensure our products use only sustainably grown bamboo and choose environmentally friendly closed-loop processes that are more difficult and expensive. They choose this because, like us, they want a healthy and secure future for their children.
Friendship knows no boundaries
Particularly in troubling times, it’s tempting to mistake politics for people. To turn insular in our beliefs and see others as different than us. But we’ve built our friendships over many years, over many dinners, over many projects, shared family stories and holidays. And although we’re not always able to meet face to face, our hearts are still connected.
While media and politics make it easy to point our fingers outward, we choose to gather our hands inward in a posture of prayer and gratitude for the many friends who support us in our consummate quest for comfort. Whether in Tampa or afar, we cherish the creativity, love, and support that comes together to create sustainable, luxurious, and comfortable loungewear that isn’t prohibitively priced.
When my day rolls around next year, don’t be mistaken - I love birthday gifts! But the friendship behind them is truly the most cherished of gifts. It’s the tether of our hearts, and for us, friendship knows no boundaries.
love,
