Recognizing those who are delivering joy and healing in difficult times

One of the things that happens to entrepreneurs as their companies expand and responsibilities change, is that it is easy to lose track of what it was like when you were first starting out and working on the front lines of your business. 

I’ve always tried to keep those memories top-of-mind as much as possible. In times like this when every day brings new and often unexpected challenges, however, it is easy for those challenges to take over your entire world and push everything else aside.

That’s why I was so inspired to read stories recently of two Edible team members and their dedication and selflessness in making sure that their customers are taken care of despite the challenges the COVID-19 crisis has presented.

The New York Times followed Sandy Matthews on a day’s worth of deliveries which have more than tripled during the pandemic. Her day often doesn’t end until 7 p.m., but “in a small way I feel I’m bringing happiness to people during a difficult time,” she told the Times.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, 21-year-old college student Mary Mehalick creates arrangements for a local franchisee and she penned a beautiful, heart-felt guest column for the Star-Ledger. In the article she shares her feelings about being the person people are counting on to fill a desperate need for comfort and connection in an area ravaged by the virus. 

Since the pandemic started, orders in her store have soared from 30-40 a day to around 80 and “well over half…are for sympathy,” she writes. 

She shares how she has had to “proofread messages of sorrow more times than I thought possible in my 21 years” and how for every “sorry for your loss” note, she takes a piece of that grief home with her. 

What makes these two stories so meaningful for me is that I know these same stories are being repeated day after day in communities across the nation and around the world by equally dedicated and passionate members of the Edible team doing their part to bring joy or healing in these challenging times. 

Just a week ago we had more than 700,000 orders in one weekend for those wanting to reach out and show their mothers how much they love them. Our arrangements have become a way for people to connect with their loved ones in a time of social distancing.

If possible, I would give each one a big hug and tell them “Thank You” for all you are doing.

If you would like to read the stories of Sandy and Mary, I am providing the links below. 

How an Edible Arrangements Delivery Worker Spends Her Sundays (New York Times)

Second-hand mourning by an essential worker (New Jersey Star-Ledger)