A Christmas Message from Founder, Kat Pither

A Christmas Message from Founder, Kat Pither

What a year it has been. I hope however you find yourself, wherever you find yourself on Christmas Day there's little moments of love. Whether that's propping up your phone next to the gravy to share your dinner over facetime, whether you are a filming your little ones faces when they unwrap their gifts for grandparents or it was a last-minute dash to cobble together a tree and parsnips. I think the thing we've all realised is, this season, this life was never about the "things", it was always about the small little sweet feelings and the people that make you feel them. I wish you and your loved ones safety and sweetness now, and on the 25th, however, that looks for you.

Thank You for Everything

Speaking of how people make you feel I am welling up a little bit writing this as I think of how all of you have supported Yogi Bare and myself this year. A popular meme exists online that says "When you buy from a small business a human does a happy dance". While I have been known to bust a groove to Prince its so much more than that.

The support, love, kindness, messages, word of mouth recommendations, and Yogi Bare sharing over what has been the most challenging year to be a small business has left me glued to the spot with overwhelming and awe so many times these last few months.

The Year of 2020 

This year we've grappled a rebrand, 2020 toughness, heartbreak, loss, learning how to use excel (Kat … kind of), loneliness, mental health challenges, the sheer wonder of business growth but still being a teeny team and squeezing every hour out of the week to keep up. And right there, through it all, there has been you. All of you. The cheerleaders (You look great in the uniform btw). Your sweetness and support is the heartbeat of Yogi Bear. It's because of you that we are still here. Because of you, a very anxious girl who didn't believe in herself now found her confidence and now has a real brand that employs genuine, wonderful people. I am so grateful to all of you. Everything you do has a ripple effect beyond what you realise. So thank you. You are a huge part of the team and one we couldn't do it without.

So as I type this, before I try to step back from technology for a few days, I just wanted to thank you from all my heart, and I hope you feel it through the screen. I'm excited about next year and what we've got in store for you.

Just remember that it doesn't matter if your cards or gifts didn't get there on time or that your Christmas dinner is comprised of what's in the back of the freezer. The only thing that matters is love. Gratitude for our loved ones, however near, however far. The love remains.

A Few Notes from My Journal

I want to leave you with a few notes from my journal. A little reminder to look after yourself as I know many of you have given so much to others this year, but you are just as deserving of your care:

Only the gardener will remain. My favourite set of words. To garden is to spill deep love + care into tiny pots on windowsills, terracotta balconies, just the right amount of water on the cotton wool of egg cup cress, to cast your fingernails in mud as sweet reminders of the permeance of permaculture.

Sometimes we've been so busy picking all the best, most vibrant, blooming beautiful flowers from our gardens, tying them together with string & paper & giving them out to everyone & anyone who passes by. But because we were so busy with bouquets, we forgot to tend to our garden & the flowers stopped growing.

These words are my favourite because the gardener tends to the garden, every season, not just when the flowers grow, the gardener puts in the groundwork. The blossoms are just a beautiful consequence of the work that goes on behind the scenes.

We all need to make time to get dirty and do the groundwork. However, that looks for us.

And right now, when the garden looks bleak and bare, stripped of its majesty and floral artistry. This is when we commit to the groundwork. We go back to the roots. We get out of our heads, hearts, bodies, and commit to something greater than all of us; connection + care.

We've all been craving intimacy and connection. We were all holding out for this season to taste its sweetness. It isn't possible right now. But I was thinking about the split threads of intimacy - defined by what we are told that matters - tinsel, tofurky + tia maria - and what truly matters - someone loving you, seeing you, growth and perspective. And the best someone for that is you. No one can love you, know what you need and know how to give it to you as you do.

Water yourself, tend to yourself, bloom yourself in whatever way you like. Gone gardening.

 

All my love, Kat + Team Yogi Bare

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