The Family of Man (and Woman)

There are several holidays which remind us of the importance of family. Mother’s Day kicks off the festival – then Father’s Day waits a decent interval before claiming equal time.

In the middle there’s the often-overlooked Children’s Day – which confuses us by having multiple monikers – one National Children’s Day and the other Family Day. Both happened on May 15th – although neither rated much traction as most adults tend to mutter: “EVERY day is children’s day!” along with an occasional expletive.

But family holds a lot of sway here at the Deep for we are, by definition, a family business. There are three sisters at the helm who have poured their vision, hard work, creativity, tears and laughter into creating a world where the rest of us feel … at home. Where we feel encouraged, as adults, to ‘play.’

And when our cherished floor manager, Helen Lash, faced the bitter travails of war, for her roots and much of her family are still in Ukraine, we organized to get the word out so her tribe could receive some much-needed support.

Our extended family, our community of patrons and customers, stepped up. Letting Helen know she and her kinfolk matter. Despite the onslaught of frustrations and challenges we’ve faced personally over the last two and a half years, we recognize our membership in the family of man (and woman, but you get that, right?) and we want to do our share.

Here at the Deep we look forward to customers sharing their family stories and reminding us how very much we all have in common. Part of life’s universality is our desire to be recognized and welcome. This is a primary tenet for us when our customers walk through the door.

We’re grateful for the continued patronage of our community. We feel lucky to still be in the game – looking for the next opportunity to help someone set down their troubles for a few minutes and find something that will charm and delight them. It’s somebody else’s slogan but it still feels apt: you are a stranger here but once.

“My mother used to tell me that when push comes to shove, you always know who to turn to. That being a family isn’t a social construct but an instinct.”
Jodi Picoult

“There’s nothing that makes you more insane than family. Or more happy. Or more exasperated. Or more . . . secure.” Jim Butcher

“I sustain myself with the love of family.”
Maya Angelou