Beautiful Endurance

There is a part of me that truly believes there should be a special place in heaven for those of us who have watched a business we adore crumble to bits before our tear-filled eyes. A business is a child, a garden, a family. It is at once the most devastating and most glorious kind of love affair: a thief, an enemy, a mother, a muse and a best friend. It is all of these things and above all else it is a living, breathing physical manifestion of our most creative selves, which is why when it falls apart, when it splinters, shatters or merely fades to nothing, it spikes the very heart of who we are, or else who we believe ourselves to be.

Two days ago, Rachel Ashwell told the world, via her lovely blog, that Shabby Chic, the business she has nurtured and adored for twenty years is in the process of filing for File Eleven Bankruptcy Protection.

The post is astonishing in it’s honesty, in it’s every hope filled paragraph, in it’s very humanity, and in the sense of family Rachel has imbued in every sentence. It hurts to read, because those of us who know what it is to lose a business, can read in her dear bravado, the bewilderment, the shock of having her baby harnessed by goodness knows what and forces beyond her control, and indeed the guilt it is only natural to feel, when something we have nurtured wholeheartedly, fails regardless.

But those of us who have lost businesses also know that it isn’t the end. That business failure is merely opportunity dressed in the grey suit of administration. It is never the end, and always a beautiful new beginning, a chance to make all those thing happen that once seemed impossible, because the true spirit of a business, big or small, whichever direction it is forced to take, exists not in unfiled tax returns, but in the heart of it’s visionary. Obviously, it is probably in the best interests of everyone to not have unfiled tax returns and that is why we have learnt just how important it is to file our taxes. As we don’t want to get into trouble with the authorities. Getting in touch with any top tax experts in your area can give you all the help and advice you may need to ensure that you keep on top of your tax returns so we can focus on what really matters in life. However, if you do find yourself in a bit of a pickle with unfiled taxes, then you to get that sorted as soon as you can. Don’t just leave it and hope that it will go away by itself. You don’t have to go it alone either, instead, you can get Canadian Tax Amnesty Lawyers to help you sort it out. They can assist you with any returns and help you with any challenges you might have.

Rachel Ashwell is nothing, if she is not a visionary. This is just a turn in the road. And she is right to believe that endurance is what is required now. That and hugs from her babbas, and support from a community of women rooting for her and the company that shaped our aesthetic.

Love you Honey. Chin up.x