Whole World Baby

Every time I get that invitation in the mail I panic. It’s a Boy! It’s a Girl! It’s another gift I have to shop for, buy, wrap and deliver. I go through a litany of questions. What are the baby’s parents like? Do they like organic clothing, handmade gifts or store bought trendy items? I hit the World Wide Web and search for Baby shower gifts, baby shower ideas and unique baby gifts. I discover that thousands of people are searching for the same thing and there’s nothing very unique out there anyway. I descend into baby shower hopelessness and consider pretending I never got the invite.

Finally, common sense and kind heartedness return to me and I get busy. What was I thinking? It’s not so much a challenge but an opportunity. It’s actually just like those first few months of parenthood when we are forced to surrender to a new way of thinking and living. I decide to look for gifts that truly represent what that new life will represent, a gift that gives back.  When I search for gifts that give to charity I am amazed to see the many choices available. The cynic in me that believes this kind of thing will never catch on retreats and I am engulfed by a hope. My hope is that this trend of companies donating a percentage of profits to charity will become more than a trend.

There are some trends that stick around for much too long. The plastic shoes from the 1980’s would be an excellent example of that phenomenon. Then there are trends that that fade too quickly into that good night. I hope that things like home made gifts, organic clothing and socially conscious giving do not disappear but thrive. There is only one way we can give really unique baby gifts. We must  hold on tightly to the unique belief that if enough of us give gifts that keep on giving, the world will indeed be a better place for our children.

I wonder how many times a day I think, “I’m overwhelmed.”  It seems like my mantra sometimes– I swear it pops in my brain at least four times before lunch rolls around.  I remember feeling that way before I had a baby, but oh my my is it a different ballgame now.

Adrianne | Jama | Stacey

Literally just shopping, cooking, and cleaning for your family is like a full-time Groundhog Day, and that’s just the basic layer.  Tack on kid classes and activities, (in my case) preparing for and executing auditions, constantly fielding emails and tasks for Whole World Baby – add to that the panic-inducing feeling that you haven’t done enough regarding bottle-weaning, potty-training, and pre-school preparation, and God forbid you want to go to yoga or the gym and have your hair cut and colored every so often, and BAM – there it is again, “I feel overwhelmed.” And I only have ONE child.  All women that juggle more than one are absolute heroes in my book and deserve a trophy of some kind.  And I have the audacity to hope to be so lauded one day. Humphh.

And I recall when I started Whole World Baby and my husband Curtis warned me that it might add an extra level of stress to my life that at the time, he didn’t have so much confidence that I could handle.  (In his defense I was crying daily about how overwhelmed I was by Addy’s incessant breastfeeding needs and complete disregard for my sleep.)

But something in me knew I HAD to – that somehow THIS would make everything okay. And you know what?  It does. Yes, it adds a dimension of stress to my life with the responsibilities and time commitment it takes to start up any small business…but our mission is not small.  And just by merely joining forces with my remarkable partners, Stacey and Adrianne, is like my version of going to church.  I’m consistently inspired, my compassion is constantly deepened, and my mind is forever expanding because of these two spectacular ladies and because of the vision we share.

Whole World Baby feels like service work – yes, we are hoping to pioneer a new line of baby fashion with our trendy, eco-friendly headscarves, but our business model is something loftier in our service to our nine children’s charities.  And we hope that these headscarves, albeit a cool kids fashion accessory, can take on a deeper meaning—a badge of honor if you will — a symbol that stands up for kids everywhere. And something about service doesn’t drain you – it has an energizing effect, actually — so even if I don’t have time to go to the gym, dipping into my partner’s reservoir of love, passion, and enthusiasm for this cause that we’ve adopted is like a full-body and soul workout.  And that leaves me the opposite of overwhelmed. I feel at peace.