Click here for part 1 of this story…
It took a few weeks, but we finally got a diagnosis on my Mom’s mystery illness, and it wasn’t what we were hoping for.
She has multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer. That was the bad news. The good news is that it’s treatable, with a good survival rate. The reason she couldn’t get out of bed was that she’d developed multiple fractures on her vertebrae, a symptom of the myeloma.
It was a lot to absorb, and between my siblings, dad and me, there was a lot of grief. But we decided that we shouldn’t treat the cancer like a death sentence. We had to keep moving.
My mom had two surgeries, back to back, to repair the fractures in her vertebrae. I served as primary caretaker following the first surgery, which extended the hiatus on filling BGLH summer orders.
When I’d left Brooklyn weeks earlier, the plan was to spend just a few weeks at my parents’ house while I looked for a place nearby. But the circumstances had changed. Now my parents needed me.
Still, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I had moved all the way from Brooklyn *for help* with my kids and business. Not to abandon my business and become a full time caretaker.
After many long conversations, we came up with a plan. My parents would invest in a part-time home health aide, and I would cover my mom’s care outside of the health aide’s hours.
Instead of moving out I would stay with my parents, and run BGLH Marketplace out of the garage and basement, rent-free.
The idea took some getting used to – I wasn’t crazy about being a 39 year old living at home again. But outstanding orders had ballooned past 400, and I hadn’t filled anything in weeks. Although most customers were gracious, a few were (understandably) upset about the delays. I needed to get back to work.
My Dad and I teamed up on hiring. He tapped his network and quickly found an amazing candidate. I posted a listing online and found another one. I was finally ready to go.
One of the biggest challenges by far would be turning my parent’s house into the new BGLH Marketplace. The spare room I’d been given to set up my operation had, for years, been a catch-all for household junk. And it looked like this…
Click here for part 3 of this story!
Also a few things;
1. As of today all outstanding orders, reshipments and refunds have been sent. If we missed you, or you have a question/concern, email le***@**************ce.com.
2. The brand is back 100% up and running, so if you need to place an order shop now.
3. Vanilla Body Oil is *finally* here!
More soon!
~Leila
🌿
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18 Responses
Leila – it’s been decades since we communicated, but let me say – it’s wild how our journeys still have some similarities. I’m sorry to hear about your mom. I know you all are supporting her to get through this.
I too, moved into my parents house at 37 as a divorce with my 4 (!) kids over a year ago. Life has a way of reminding us to go with the flow, and not follow our own book of expectations. I’m excited to follow your journey and support your business. -Monique (SoFull Sista)
Monique! Yes I remember you!! I used to love the recipes on your blog, lol! I’m sorry to hear about your divorce, and so glad you had a soft place to land. Moving back in with parents is humbling, no matter the circumstance. But I think it helps you to focus on the things in life that are important 🙂 Thanks so much for this note. <3
Blessings to you and your family. As a survivor I can tell you that being there with your Mom means so much and critical to your Moms recovery. See how God works. We never see what’s coming but just have to trust him and keep praying. Thank you for sharing. Continued blessings 🙏🏾
Thank you Yvette! And yes, we feel so blessed that we are in a position where we can handle her care on our own! We can tell it has improved her mental health dramatically as she goes through this challenging time.
Blessings to you and your family as you navigate the new. Prayers of healing for your Mom. Caretaking, moving your family and business each on its own can be overwhelming; yet you are doing it. Through it all may you give yourself plenty of love and grace. Continued blessings.
Thank you Sonja. 💗
I appreciate so much, the vulnerability it took to share something so sensitive. I definitely understand, as my own mom went through a cancer illness. I’m so glad you had the flexibility and faith to do what was needed for your mom, which will ultimately be a reward for yourself in knowing you did all you can to help her heal. I am praying for you all and can’t wait to do my normal fall/winter order. Blessings.
Thank you Alison. ❤️
May your mom be fully restored to perfect health. She has a family of angels. God bless you all.
Thank you NJ. 🙏🏽
God Bless you and your family, may He continue to heal and restore health to your mother, may He keep you strong with His strength and His Power to keep going. I love your products and will order soon, it’s been awhile since my last order but I prefer your products over the drugstore and I Thank you ❤️
Thank you for the prayers Alfreda. 🙏🏽
Praying for your mom and hope God give you strength. I had a minor stroke in January but I don’t give up too easy. I recovered and I thank God every day. Take care of your mom you only get one. Much love ❤️
Thank you Rosalind and I am so happy to hear that you recovered!
Wow… This brought tears to my eyes. Often times “we” have our own vision, yet our God has 20/20 vision before we know whats ahead of us. He closes doors because there will better doors will open bigger and better. You had no idea HE was taking you home for reasons that you could never imagine, yet HE brought you through it. Our parents sacrifice for us to become the best versions of ourselves, and when we are able to sacrifice for them it’s truly a blessing. Your business will go through peaks and valleys, yet our family is here on “borrowed” time and we need to pour into them even at times when strength is not abundant. I hold you, your little people, your dad + siblings up in prayer, as each of you writes a new chapter of resilience and grace. And for the QUEEN that has been the glue, that has patched each of you back together from time to time, her diagnosis is NOT her final story. With God’s strength she will come out of this valley, place her crown back on her head and tell others that she doesn’t look like anything she has been through. It’s a new day. It’s going to alright-I promise ☺️.
I just emailed you to say thank you. But saying it again here. Thank you so much.
Well praise God for the safety and well being of “your village “. One thing for sure God will move you when you need to be moved and heeding to His word all things thereafter will fall in place. Praying for a healing for your mom🙏🏿Peace and Blessings to you all✌🏾
Thank you for your prayers Nadine!