I just saw you guys on "The Boss" on NECN. I always loved your stuff and have eyed it longingly at REI but to tell you the truth, I thought you were some California company just cashing in on the snappy graphics. Every new message that you came out with rang true to my heart but I clung to my hardened cynicism. I know better now. In fact, I see that my attitude only served to make me feel holier-than-thou. I'm humbled (one of many such lessons in my life). I want to thank you for that.
The one piece of merchandise that I did end up buying a couple of years ago was a mug with Jake and Rocket sitting at a campfire. I couldn't resist. I love my dog. I love my dog like I never knew I could love an animal. My dog was abandoned on the roadside in Tennessee, found by a good Samaritan, brought back to health by a shelter, fostered and eventually adopted by me. Technically, I rescued her. The truth is, she saved my life. I had become a shell of the person I was supposed to be and hadn't even realized how much I had withered away. Because of Nanny, I spend three hours a day outdoors. I've rediscovered my love of trees and animals and open spaces. I've learned that, no matter what -- and I've been through some incredibly hard times in these three years since I've had Nanny -- life is truly good.
I love to watch my dog run. I love it because she runs sometimes just for the sheer joy of it -- because she can. I try to be more like her in this. My next purchase is going to be a T-shirt with your message, "Run Like a Dog". It will remind me that freedom and joy aren't things that can be bought or sold or given or taken. The goodness in life is always there. It's up to us to be with it.
Thank you for your perseverance.
Jane