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Barry Boyce, the founder of Mindful, reminisces about the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and expresses gratitude for those who prioritize what is truly important, especially during tough times.
One thing I’ve always cherished about Thanksgiving is how we focus on gratitude for people (and some delicious food) rather than material possessions. Despite the commercialization that comes with the start of the Holiday Season, this momentary break seems to remind us of what’s truly significant.
Unfortunately, many people now associate this blessed four-day weekend with shopping frenzies, but in conversations with families, I often find that they’re still centered on fundamental values. A memorable Thanksgiving for me was two years ago when I spent it alone with my mother in her nursing home. While we may not have had much to be thankful for in a traditional sense—her situation was difficult, the food wasn’t tasty, and other family members were far away—it turned out to be a meaningful experience.
Yet, we found reasons to be thankful. We were grateful for each other’s company and for simply sharing the same space. During a long drive through the countryside, my mother opened up about her mortality in a way she hadn’t before, and that moment of honesty was something to be thankful for. We can appreciate moments when we can openly share our fears and thoughts that society often discourages us from discussing. Shortly after that Thanksgiving, my mother passed away, and I am forever thankful for that last holiday with her and the candid conversation we had.
This year, I’m particularly inspired by clothing designer Eileen Fisher and her company’s response to Hurricane Sandy. Fisher started her business in Tribeca back in 1984 and later moved to the serene, family-friendly community of Irvington in 1992. Known for prioritizing values in her work, she has always treated her team well and focused on environmental concerns. Her spacious headquarters by the river features areas for yoga and has hosted a meditation group for years.
On the Monday when Sandy struck, water flooded her headquarters to the height of two file cabinets, according to her facilities manager interviewed by the New York Times. The storm shattered the large glass windows of her nearby store and community space, sending a beautiful red couch floating around. Mud coated everything in both her headquarters and store. The company’s warehouse in New Jersey was closed, as was the design center in Manhattan, with power outages complicating matters, transportation hindered by gas shortages, and shipments halted.
In total, twelve dumpster-loads and eight storage units of goods were ruined, amounting to around $1.5 million in losses. Yet, Ms. Fisher remarked to the Times, “It was just stuff.”
Her calm and poise are truly inspiring, as is the determination of her staff, who worked swiftly to clean up and restore business operations while ensuring that employees were paid and offered interest-free loans if they needed financial assistance. With limited resources, they found makeshift meeting spaces and shared rides to save on gas. Weeks later, although not everything was back to normal, Eileen Fisher resumed operations.
As Stephanie Clifford described in the Times, executives displayed a remarkable ability to rise above the emotional turmoil surrounding the damage to their inventory, focusing instead on the goal of reopening their damaged business. This reflects great resilience. We might think it’s “just a business,” but businesses support households and contribute to community life. When a business maintains a human touch, even amid crises, that is something truly worth being thankful for.
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