Dear small business owner,
You matter.
You are amazing.
You are needed.
You are a huge part of the flavor and beauty of our great towns, cities and country.
You are the story of those who pursue their dreams through passion and hard work.
You bring a beautiful combination of cultures, eras and pastimes that have been passed down through the generations.
You offer unique services, unique atmosphere, unique quality. And you deserve to be open.
You aren’t any less than the big stores. You’re smaller. You may not be as “profitable”, you many not be as well known, but you are never less. We need you. We need what you have to offer.
Whether you are a restaurant, with loyal customers you know and love. You know their order as soon as they walk through the door and you greet them with a smile every time. And they love you for it.
Whether you are a gym, providing health and fitness to our community with a passion to see people thrive. Building personal relationships as you help to build healthy bodies.
Whether you are a barber who listens for a half hour to the customer in your chair while you give them a trim, offering small talk, a laugh, and maybe a word of encouragement. Your customers quickly become friends.
Whether you own a small shop, a salon, a movie theatre, or a cafe, or one of the many other businesses that have been hit so hard by our current times.
Whether you are closed, half open, or fully open, we know you are struggling. Not knowing how long you’ll make it or whether you’ll pull through. Maybe you’re sure you won’t.
We see you. We hurt with you. We ache with you as you watch years of hard work, yours and maybe that of your parents and grandparents before you, in danger of being swept away in just a matter of months.
We see that you’ve worked so hard and right now all that hard work is walking a very fine line made by these very unfair circumstances.
We see that you care about people, we know you don’t want to see anyone sick, but we also know that you need to be able to live, to work and to grow even in the midst of difficult times.
We see that you chose this business so you could work when, how, and for whom you chose… and that’s being taken from you.
We see you as you tried to “follow the guidelines” only to be shut down anyway… or burdened by even more impossible regulations.
We see you as you watch certain big money businesses allowed to thrive while you are dying.
We see you as you watch the future you’ve planned for your children seeming to slip slowly away.
We see you struggling with the temptation to just open regardless, we know you want to stand against tyranny, but how? How you can you afford the fines? What if you go to prison for it? When do certain regulations just become wrong? We see the struggle you must be feeling, and we feel for you.
Yet, I’m sure we don’t even realize or understand the half of how your heart is breaking.
I don’t know who get’s to decide who is essential and who is not… I don’t know who get’s to choose. Because I see you as essential. I see you as important.
You encourage hard work.
You inspire determination.
You motivate people to try.
You stir up passion.
You showcase the gifts and talents given to us by our Creator.
You are a story, a journey, hard work that’s shared with others.
You offer people a place to work where they are seen, where they are valued, where they are more than just a number.
I guess I just want you to know that though the some of the “higher ups”, the money and power hungry politicians, our government and bigger corporations may not appreciate all you are and the depth of your struggle, there are many of us watching from the outside whose hearts are breaking for you.
Many of us have that well-loved, locally owned restaurant, coffee shop, boutique, barber, mechanic and the list goes on, which we much prefer to the chains. We choose you first for the sake of quality, atmosphere, and experience. We like knowing that we are literally supporting a fellow human and their family, and that of their employees every time we shop. The personal touch we feel from you is priceless, and we hope you know that.
We know that our towns and cities will not be the same if you are not there. We know you offer something special, needful and unique. We want to support you and let you know we care. I know many of us will try to find ways to bring you business this holiday season, and we hope it helps.
But more than anything, I guess I just want you to know that what you’ve spent your love, life, and energy on is not lost on us. We stand behind you, we appreciate you, we support you, we need you and we pray for a brighter day than these, a day when you might be able to serve our communities freely again. What a beautiful day that would be.
With love,
A Grateful Customer
My Family Freedom 