Acknowledging Our Interconnectedness 

We often talk about how much we share in common as humans and how interconnected we all are.  Both in the experiences and emotions we collectively share, as well as our supply chains and the humans involved at every step of the items we use.  For us, we use clothing as a simple reminder of the humanity in one of the most ubiquitous items in our life, the garments we wear.

A new reality has been introduced into our world that is forcing us all to understand our connectedness in a different way — coronavirus.  A global pandemic, like nothing anyone has ever experienced in this lifetime, is here and it’s uncertainty is cause for high levels of stress and anxiety.  In the midst of a crisis like this we are all faced with our humanity, including the fragility of our health and our economic circumstances.  It’s painful, it’s extremely difficult, and to be isolated in our own homes to think extensively about it only adds to the fear of the unknown.

However, in light of all this we want to introduce some fresh perspective.  A path forward as we look to our present reality AND the hopeful future beyond all of this.

What if this realization of our interconnectedness wasn’t a reason for more fear, but an acknowledgement of how we much we need each other?  How might our actions change in light of this, both in the near future and long term?  It may not feel like it now, but our interdependence is an absolute gift.  It’s the awareness people have to practice social distancing and precautionary measures now and it will be the recognition required to rebuild the livelihoods and economies that support millions of people.

We have a long way to go in fighting coronavirus, and much still remains unknown.  At the same time, our hope is that we emerge from this global challenge with a new outlook on how resilient us humans really are and a fresh perspective on the interdependence we share.  Or to put this in two words… more empathy.