Design Crafters

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are enjoying
a restful, relaxing time with your family. I am certainly not the philosophical
type, but Thanksgiving is a day I do like to take some time to reflect on my
life and measure how I’m doing. As always at this time, because of the nature
of my business, I am strung our and exhausted knowing that the next three weeks
are going to be the hardest ever with all the last minute Christmas card
orders. I am thankful though of course for the business. It’s one of those
“Mixed Blessing” types of things.

I want to thank all of you who have already ordered your
Christmas cards this year for being “on the ball” and getting your orders in early. I
hope that you have been pleased with the quality and service that we have provided.

I’m getting to that age that a lot of my friends’ parents
are leaving this world and we all know that is inevitable for all of us as some
point in time. As we get older, it’s eventually going to happen to all of us and
right now we don’t probably think that much about it. But what if we don’t make
it that long? It seems that the more people I know, the more I learn of those
who are struggling with various physical problems – the terminal type like
various forms of cancer and such. These are not old people, they are
contemporaries of mine. It makes me really think about how one day we can be
carefree and think we are fine, and the next day find out that our days are
numbered. How about those who are fine and then their life gets snuffed out in
a moment because of a drunken driver or some other freak accident?

My daughter loves country western music and she introduced
me to a song a couple of years ago entitled, “Live Like You’re Dying.” It’s
about a guy who found out that he only had a short time to live so he decided
to do all the things he’d always wanted to do. He says we all should live our
life like we would if we knew we were dying. There’s a lot of wisdom in that
song. My husband and I have decided that as we are advancing in years and are
finally “empty nesters” that we should take advantage of every opportunity that
comes along, and even create our own opportunities to do some fun things that
we would enjoy, instead of waiting until we retire, because who knows when
something could happen to either one of us and we wouldn’t be able to do all
these things. Consequently, we have had some of our richest life experiences
the last couple of years.

Even more important than having a great time and living life
to it’s fullest, I think is making sure that our relationships, especially with
those we love are the best they can be. Whether it’s we or they who may leave
this world earlier than expected, are we going to feel like we have been the
best friend, mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, etc. that we could
be? Are we treating those we care about as if it could be the last time we see
them? Will there be no regrets if it is? Ho about your relationship with your
Creator? As my pastor would say, “Not a sermon, just a thought.”

I have resolved to make sure that there is no unresolved
conflict in my life with those I care about and would challenge you to do the
same as you have probably more time than usual with your family over the next
month.

Thanks for taking the time to read this far. I do hope you
have a blessed holiday season with your family. I thank you again so much for
your patronage, especially those of you who have faithfully ordered from us
year after year.

Have a great Turkey Day!