About Time

A new year. A fresh start! Around now is when many of us turn our attention to time: reflecting on the passage of it over the holidays, appreciating the moment, and looking ahead.

I've certainly heard much mention of it: customers commenting on how quickly their children and grandchildren grow, how time seems to speed up with age, and how they'd like to better spend their time in the future. Life can be a bit of a balancing act, shifting our focus back and forth between the quantity and quality of our time.

At Figg Street Co., sometimes particular items or their intended use goes hand-in-hand with a focus on the past, present or future. For example, when someone is experiencing grief, there's a tendency to look back and examine past moments with fresh eyes. Suddenly, we may see something new that didn't occur to us earlier. We may develop a sentimentality for a particular thing that reminds us of our beloved. It could be a song, an animal, a colour, a shape, literally anything that feels like a personal connection.

The way this shows up at the shop is also personal. Sometimes someone will tell me they're buying specific glassware because of the dragonfly on it, which reminds them of their father. Or it could be a hummingbird on the cover of a notepad. Or even marbled paper that reminds them of their uncle's study. Sometimes this paper is used to cover a box, which then stores the precious mementoes related to their loved one.

You may have heard that Jimmy Carter passed away on December 29th. He was 100 years old. What a long life! He embodied compassion, empathy, integrity, and kindness. He was a selfless man who helped others. He cared and worked on so many global issues, including peace, human rights and the environment. It's remarkable how he continued his humanitarian service well into his nineties. What an inspiration!

It just goes to show that even (and maybe especially) in loss we can find something positive. Those that come before us leave seeds for the future. When we take a moment to reflect, we can find wisdom, beauty, humour and inspiration. Every life has something to teach us. Every life has its place and is precious.

When it comes to the present moment, this, too, is apparent at the shop. It's such a gift when we interact with others who are truly in the moment. We've all experienced this with others and also ourselves. There's a sense of quiet stillness, a feeling of things feeling right when you're with someone who's centred and grounded. Some might say they feel good vibes or a positive energy. Whatever term you use, it basically feels like things are flowing smoothly.

Of course, at this time of year, many of us are looking ahead. We're getting organized, considering our wants and desires, and planning out schedules. It's a popular time for diaries, bullet journals and notebooks. Large format notepads, as well, that make for fun planning diagrams and charts.

We also see people get creative by using colourful inks and markers to colour-code their agendas and task lists. Planning is personal. We each have our preferred way of going about it.