As many of you know we launched our first product to market at the end of March 2019. Even before selling a single pint we committed to giving back as part of how we want to be in the world. We have chosen World Vision and in particular their Goat program so we can support both agriculture and giving families a new start on life. Although we are still small (and haven’t taken a paycheck ourselves) we get so excited when we can buy our next goat… we are currently up to 11 at this point.

This blog however is not about our Gift a Goat program…. it is a reflection on Thanksgiving and breaking those two words apart.

“Thanks”

Said above, it has become a trite word, one that is thrown around without a lot of thought and intention put behind it. You did something for me and so the appropriate response is “thanks”. Thanks however should be a posture of gratitude, an emotion connecting deep within our brain to the point of releasing chemicals (like Dopamine and Seratonin) that propel us to feel good.

“Giving”

When we feel gratitude it propels us to reciprocate acts of kindness or words of appreciation to others. Giving can be done out of obligation or guilt, but there is another kind of giving out of true gratitude that passes on those emotions to the receiver and begins the cycle again. If you have ever gone through the drive-through for coffee and had the inkling to pay for someone else’s bill, it often sets a chain reaction - the next person is surprised and often grateful for this act and then passes that onto the next car or the next opportunity they have.

I was recently reflecting on a time in my life I hadn’t thought about for a little while. A time which was incredibly challenging and the many events that led up to that point in my life. I thought about the people, the services and the situations during that time that gave me strength, practical support, shelter, advice, food, gifts for my children, connections, friendship and even faith. I welled up (did you know gratitude knows no time limit??!) with thankfulness and those emotions almost knocked me over.

I thought about something I have available at this moment (a batch of Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream) and how I might give back and bring a smile, a treat, a sense of possibility in someone else’s time of turmoil to represent my thanks. I got so excited that I have committed to giving away 1000 pints!

This month I want to share with you not about Udderly Ridiculous - but about some of the amazing people and services that deserve our “Thanks” and our “Giving”. I am going to bring together the stories of some of these critical services in our communities and the people who make them happen. Tune into our blog all month long for these stories.

Take some time to do your own reflection on what “Thanksgiving” means to you this year!

With Thanksgiving,

Cheryl