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A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 4, Issue 49
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I'm taking a break from the usual format of the newsletter for this special holiday issue, to remind myself of the many things for which I am so very thankful as we start this holiday season. I have infused my message with a more personal touch this time by including references to my life and some things that touch me deeply.

It seems like just yesterday that I was holding my tiny newborn baby boy in my arms. In reality, it's been over a year since he arrived. (See Summer 2004 photo of my son, Brooks, and his dad at right.) I blinked my eyes a few times and our children are quickly moving toward the day when my husband and I will be able to smile with joy as they venture out into the world to make their own marks.

... Or at least that's the way we envision it. I am thankful for that vision today, but I know it is not promised. Surprisingly unspeakable things can lurk around the corner, so let's take a moment to be thankful together for the blessings of family and business.

The November 18 issue of the Washington Post contained a story about Mary Rush, school teacher, wife and mother of 3. Last year, Mary and her family were presented with the opportunity to be featured in a Discovery Channel reality television show. The opportunity was just what Mary needed -- the chance to do something "fun and goofy," and get paid for it. In January, a television crew began filming her home and professional life for a show that would showcase financial experts helping Mary and her family get their finances in order. The "financial boot camp" was recorded and slated to air on November 19, 2004, which it did.

Unfortunately, this past May, while lining up children after recess, Mary suddenly and without warning, and no family history indicators, dropped dead in the school playground. At age 46, Mary succumbed to a massive heart attack. No one thought for a moment that they would be without Mary this Thanksgiving and as they watched their reality segment last week, I'm sure they were missing her and are missing her still on this Thanksgiving Day. Reading the story left me in tears as I thought about my family -- not only my immediate family of husband, kids, parents, siblings, etc., but also my extended family of HBN members and newsletter readers around the world.

Nothing beyond the moment in which I now live and breathe as I write this article is promised to me. I may set this newsletter up to be delivered to your mailboxes on Thanksgiving morning but I have no real way of knowing whether I will be alive to know that you received it. So today, as we celebrate friends and family -- both immediate and extended -- I would like to take a moment to tell you how thankful I am for your presence in my life.

Today, I hope and pray that you will capitalize on the opportunity to take a well deserved break from work and business. I hope that you will enjoy your family -- those members who are here and those who have passed on. And I hope that you, like me, will pause to thank God for the opportunity to gather together at least one more time to enjoy good food and good fellowship.

Like Mary Rush and her family, we don't know if it's the last time or not. So make the most of it. Hug a little longer and kiss a little sweeter, and resolve that even if it turns out to be the last time you're together, it will be the best time ever! From my family (husband and daughter, Vanessa, pictured at left after bath time) to yours,

Happy Thanksgiving!

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HandmadeBeauty.com: the leading industry trade organization
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MakeYourCosmetics.com: ingredient encyclopedia & original cosmetics recipes
DonnaMaria.com: sound advice for your small business, Create The Life You Love™
AromaGirls .com: Coming Soon: "defining beauty for ourselves"