Light in a time of quarantine
Now, here's a longer one for you.
These are tough times, and I'm thinking a lot about how I can help.
Throughout my life as a goldsmith, there have been periods when I felt a bit uneasy about creating something as “superfluous” as jewelry.
I could be doing something important, being a nurse, a dentist in impoverished countries, a lawyer for the homeless… something.
Well, it didn't turn out that way, but part of my drive is to try to be the best human being I can be, with the means I have.
Therefore, it's significant to me how we help you, how the apprenticeship works, how my young mothers thrive here in their workplace.
Milas is much, much more than a gold shop.
It's a workplace, an apprenticeship, but also a sanctuary. Sometimes, it's a place where my customers find joy, presence, care, and where we work together to bring joy to others, because small packages may contain gold or silver, but there are always elements of joy, thoughtfulness, and love in the box too.
“Be the change you want to see in this world…” Gandhi
I think about things like that.
The most beautiful thing that happened to me here at the gold shop once was when I wrote on Facebook that I had 30 days left of chemo, and that I was afraid you would be scared and stay away. I wrote that I wanted to play "spread love" until the last chemo, and that we would give away a silver heart every day until my treatment was over.
I was overwhelmed by a storm of care, gifts, flowers, letters, tea for nausea, love, human kindness, from near and far.
Back then, I learned that when the world is dark and narrow and feels frightening, I open the double doors of my heart, share my innermost thoughts, and then I am met with love.
Spread love at a child's level
Right now, the world is upside down, borders are closing. We're being sent home.
Some are more scared than others. What we all have in common is that we've never seen or experienced this before.
It's time to open the heart's doors again, to give, to reach out and help where I can.
I'm sitting here in my office, which feels as safe and good as home; it is home to me, after all.
I'm reading many different reactions to the quarantines.
One recurring theme is the children—their questions, anxiety, unrest, what we say, what we do.
Many talk about cancelled birthdays, children's birthdays that is, friends not being allowed to visit. The disappointment is great, and the precautions are hard to understand when you're 8 years old.
So I think, birthday gifts—THAT's something I can do, so I would like to "spread love" at a child's level.
If you have a child who can't have guests or gifts, we will draw a birthday gift every day until March 29th, when the first part of the official quarantine ends. You can choose between a feather and the small heart "my."
Let's help each other, also with joy.
Warm regards, Minna Lund, the gold lady.