A Simple Idea That Forever Changed Our Lives
It was an ordinary night while shopping for a wedding gift that an idea struck us. It would be a simple idea that would forever change our lives. All of a sudden, we wanted to really make an impact. But naturally, fear gripped us. We were afraid that our idea wasn’t going to fly and that nobody would listen. At the same time, we’re scared that people were going to laugh at us and mock us. We were wrestling with our want to be seen and heard versus wanting to just hide from the world.
But on January 23rd of last year, we finally mustered the courage and set aside our fears. And so, exactly a year ago, Love is Love was born.
How Love is Love Started It was a friend’s wedding that opened our eyes to the sad fact that there were no stores offering products for LGBTQ couples. Every couple-y item that we saw were designed and made with a straight couple in mind. It’s as if no one is acknowledging the existence of same-sex couples. So there we were in the middle of a couple items store frustrated and wondering when we would be able to see a product that represents our love.
As I was lazily browsing in the store, an idea struck me. So I pulled Michee aside and told her why don’t we just do it ourselves. We looked at each other, grinning and with a glint of excitement in our eyes. “So what are we going to name our business,” Michee asked. And I answered Love is Love.
The Bigger Picture Although our initial intention of starting Love is Love was to bring LGBTQ focused products out in the market, it became a bigger thing. We realized then that that was just scratching the surface. As we became more invested in the idea, the heart of our business started to unravel right before our eyes. It wasn’t just about business anymore, nor was it just about creating products. It’s hugely about promoting equality and educating people about the LGBTQ community as much as we can.
Wrestling with Fears and More Fears While we were thrilled with the idea of starting Love is Love, we were also scared. It took many nights of serious sit-down talks, and exchanging ideas. We knew that once we put ourselves out there, we were open for scrutiny. And for sure, it’s not just our products that would be scrutinized. It would be us.
We had to be realistic. We’re very much aware that majority still frown upon same-sex couples and the LGBTQ community. Only a small percentage accepts us for who we are. And people can be really mean and aggressive with their dislike for people like us. They can come charging with fangs and claws out. Did we really want to throw ourselves in such a situation?
The Easy Choice The easy choice is to give in to our fears and just let the world be as it is. And to just stay in our bubble. But I remembered what my late grandmother (Mommy) used to tell me. She said that everyone has a responsibility to make this world a better place and she told me that I should think about what I can contribute to society. I would always joke and just crack a wise-ass response like “I can’t save humanity Mommy” or something along that line.
But this time, her words inspired both Michee and I to step up to the plate and just do whatever we can to make an impact and help in creating a more loving, inclusive, and accepting society. We can at least try.
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So Here We Are So here we are, already on our first year of spreading our message of love, acceptance and equality. We still wrestle with our fears every single day. I think that’s only natural. On days when our fears are getting louder, we remind ourselves why we are doing this. It’s not because that there is a promise of a successful outcome. Obviously, the odds, as of the moment, are not in our favor. But to see the change we are seeking, we have to do something now. It’s a much better option than not doing anything, waiting, and just delaying.
We Are This Close to a Breakthrough We are this close to a breakthrough. But there’s a lot more work to be done. And so we will continue telling people that you can make a difference. And together, we can create a future that we want and a society that is more loving and accepting.
