Japanese proverb: Fall down seven times, get up eight. . .
Many moons ago, ‘round about 2010, there was a little micro-company founded because a new mom found that it was easy to find toys and things that would encourage her little boy to pretend that he was a licensed character, or do a job, but just to let his imagination run wild? Not so much. This was very different from her two girls, with whom she had spent many after school hours devising outrageous costumes and playing crazy pretend games.
This wee company went along its happy way making silly hats and imaginative goodies one at a time and making kids, both big and small, a little happier. And it pleased the mom to know that she was bringing some joy to others. The tiny company grew into a little company, and everyone was happy.
Then came the hurricane. Where the company was little, the hurricane was big, and while the flood waters were only about half as tall as an elephant, they were tall enough to wash away everything the company used to make their goodies, not to mention all the goodies themselves. The mom was very discouraged and seeing all the destruction, couldn’t even think of what to do next.
Slowly, slowly, as the sun shone down, she let go of her sadness, and with the encouragement of her kiddos, Aki Okapi was born. “Aki,” for brightness and second chances, and “Okapi,” because, well, Okapis are pretty cool. Join us as we start this new adventure together, and see if we can bring a little brightness to each other. <3
