Rebecca, Your Email Saved Me!

I got an email from a subscriber and I didn't know how to respond. I started. I stopped. I couldn't find the right words to express exactly what it meant to me. I sent a reply but the words weren't right, I needed more time, more words to explain to her how much her email was so much more than 'just an email'. I can't really explain it, but I owe it to her to try. 

So you know when you and your friend both get in a car to go somewhere and you only have one charger? You both check your phones to see what percent you each have? Their phone's at 5% and your phone is at 3%?  But for some reason, they insist you use the charger first? That's what you did for me. Though you yourself are running low, you so graciously allowed me to charge first. That's love. Maybe that's the millennial in me talking, but that's like sacrificial lamb, lay on the grenade type love for my generation.

It's taken me awhile but I got your email. And true story, it saved me.

It feels like every time I hit a new stride something else tries to destroy me all over again. It's exhausting. My mind was beginning to grow weary, because heavens know my body is already tired. 

But then I read your email.

I am extremely humbled by the fact you took the time, you used up some of your battery to send me a little digital support. It is beyond words for me right now.  Despite all the negativity, accusations of my illness being fake, my boxes being unworthy of their value, and the incredibly disastrous shipping errors; you believe in me as much as I believe in me. You've never met me. But you still showed me unspeakable kindness. If that's not life's most precious gesture, empathy, I don't know what is.

Truthfully it made me happy cry. It's been hard lately. Struggling to stay healthy. Relationship problems. Financial hardships. Emotional meltdowns. Missing medicines. Running Spoonie Essentials Box. No cell phone. Pneumonia. I could go on, but you don't need that. You know what it's like living with chronic-illness and you know how life can be. But your email, it saved me. It swelled my heart, comforted my soul, and gave my mind peace.

It's among the nicest things anyone has done for me. It was the gentle nudge I needed to keep going. Somebody somewhere saw me. They saw how hard I've been trying, how long my storm has been pouring, and without hesitation reached out to me, not as the "CEO of Spoonie Essentials Box" but britt renee the person.

You reminded me of the irony in how I talk a lot about not "feeling" alone because our community is so vast, but truthfully I am alone. Up until very recently I was a team of me, myself, and I managing inbounding emails, Facebook messages, Instagram Posts & DM's, Pinterest, and YouTube. That's just social media and my online life aka "Spoonie Essentials Box".

I appreciate the "time" to focus on Spoonie Essentials Box, I'm not mad about the cards I've been dealt. I'm proud that I take care of myself on my own while battling chronic illness and cancer earlier this year. Real life story, it will be my life's greatest achievement if I pull it all off in the long run--that is Spoonie Essentials the brand. You helped me see just how much time I spend giving energy outwards without really having much left or received for myself. Trust me I practice most of what I preach--I repeat daily positive affirmations, I blog to express my feelings, I protect my energy, adopted better eating habits, tried meditating, give more than I take, set reminders to take my meds on time, hand sanitizer is life, work hard without expecting handouts, live well and spread love often. But sometimes the kind words of a person you've never met, yet offers you their friendship, breathes more life back into you than any pill, infusion, or healthy habit.

I am so grateful you enjoy the thought I put into creating a practical yet fun chronic illness themed care packages. I wish with all my heart receiving a Spoonie Essentials Box is anything like receiving your email. If my boxes bring you just enough of a twinkle of happiness carefully packaged in just enough comforting support to keep going? Then my dreams have come true right before my eyes. All I ever wanted was to create a way to to do something that brings joy into my life and others by adding some upside to this thing called "the chronic illness experience".

I know you understand more than anyone else how difficult it can be to adjust to adopting the new habits and lifestyle, that best maximize your health while being practical about how you're going to live with the weight of financial strain of chronic illness. It is a ton to process and even harder to actually figure it out. I thank my lucky stars everyday that I have the opportunity, the chance to follow my dreams. I really do. Even on the really bad days because it's like still very unbelievable to me that I'm even really doing it. A year ago I couldn't see how. There were days I wasn't sure how I was going to get boxes out. It hasn't been flawless. Shit has hit the fan several times. It has hardly been pretty, but I'm doing it because of people like you. On my hardest days, reading the toughest criticism, fighting through pain to finish boxes, sitting through yet another infusion is all worth it because of subscribers like you.

I've almost survived the first year of owning my own business. But Spoonie Essentials was always meant to represent more than a just box of self care stuff. Its a community, a gesture, a thing I can't explain but I think you very uch get what I cannot find a word for.

The thins is, that has only been realized because of you--all of you Spoonie Essentials Box Subscribers!

You believed. You understood. You instinctively got I was trying to send you solidarity and support without me ever being able to communicate that properly. You make the #SEBfamily. 


Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Xo Britt







*I receive many emails from subscribers and fans which I love and truly appreciate. I choose this email as it was one of the more recent emails I have gotten. In no way shape or form and I suggesting your emails did not or do not matter, this email is a representation of all of Spoonie Essentials Box subscribers who've shown me love and my response is meant for every sender. I try and reply to all emails, though not in a timely manner lol. xo