💛 A business is a number. A brand is a feeling. 💛 This letter is Beekman 1802's brand, and it gives me all the feels:
"Dear Josh and Brent,
It feels a bit odd to write you this message, as I'm not in the habit of sending emails to brand founders, but a few weeks ago, a friend suggested that I reach out to you. "Did you tell Josh and Brent about your mom?" she asked. "You should; she was a good Neighbor, and they'd want to know." So, here we are.
Four months ago today, my mom Cathy, my best friend and the best person I've ever known, died unexpectedly. I have a sense of how much kindness means to you both, and my Mom was the epitome of kindness. Her infinite warmth, generosity, compassion, patience, selflessness, good humor, and love enriched the lives of every person she met...Any person who my Mom met, she welcomed with love; a poem that was written in her memory referred to her as "one who knows every person is her neighbor." Her last act on this earth was to offer her tissue/organs for donation; it isn't a bit of a surprise that she would give of her whole being to make someone else's life better.
Mom adored Beekman 1802, and I wanted to thank you for creating a company -- and, more importantly, nurturing a community -- that was the backdrop of so many very dear memories with her. Just over ten years ago, she drove out to the original Mercantile to have you both record a brief message for my "Amazing Race"-themed bachelorette party. Our annual spring tradition was to attend the Baby Goats Tour together, and we never missed a year. Any opportunity for a special event at Beekman 1802, we were there together: multiple farm tours, the Harvest Festival, the Rose Apothecary pop-up, the Full Bloom Bar, the Awe Goats installation, the lavender Harvest at Slate Hill, and on and on and on.
The last photo that I have of just my Mom and me together was taken by Farmer John at our last Baby Goats Tour on April 13, just 15 days before she died. I am so grateful that we had that day; she was so joyful in that experience. And, although this may sound odd, I'm grateful that Mom didn't purchase everything she intended to when we were at the Kindness Shop that day -- because it meant that a few days after her funeral, a package arrived from Beekman 1802, an order she had placed shortly after our last visit, containing three bars of Vanilla Absolute soap -- her current favorite. We know how deeply memory is tied to scent, and it offers some comfort to be able to use your products as another way to call my Mom to my mind and heart; it's not the same as a hug from her, but I'll take any sensory experience I can get.
Thank you again for the kindness that you and everyone at Team Beekman have shared over the years, and thank you for letting me share a bit with you about my Mom. She truly loved being a Neighbor, and I’m hoping I can carry that spirit forward.
Jessica"
(*printed with permission and lightly edited for length.) 💛
