When I opened Nora Khereddine Objects last November, I knew that a new lockdown was very likely to come soon. And of course, it didn’t take long. Only five weeks to be precise. At first it didn't really hit me hard. It was Mid-December, we had just lost a family member and we were much more preoccupied with how we were finally going to end this damn year which felt like a marathon – on a treadmill. I had the feeling all the time that as soon as the new year would come, we would find our way back to normality. Of course, this did not happen. How could it? Covid-19 was still there, so was the grief, the kindergarten was still closed and the shop anyway.
The problem as a shop owner is not only that suddenly daily income is gone, but also that you feel quite lost and useless. At least, I do. What the hell am I even doing here, I was asking myself, when sitting at the counter surfing the internet doing product research. Fact is: My shop has been closed for ten weeks and I have not yet had the courage, nor the money, to place orders on the scale I had originally planned.
I probably sound more discouraged than I actually am. Because when people sometimes ask me with concern how I'm coping with the current situation, I answer: Actually quite well. After all, I have work and I still get booked as a stylist for photo shoots. I have many wonderful and loyal clients who despite closed doors still manage to support me. Every morning when I open the doors to the shop, it fills me with joy and pride that I now really have my own shop. Albeit a closed one. I love the mix of scents in the air from the different scented candles and I am happy to see all the beautiful things, the magnolia branches whose blossoms are just opening, and the morning sun casting shadows on the wall. We won't be back to normal any time soon, and perhaps it will take much longer than we expect - and yet I recently ordered a bench where I can drink my coffee in the sun outside the shop in the morning. And maybe I'll soon get to invite a customers and friends to join me, too. I am looking forward to it. Meanwhile you can still visit me online and we are available for appointments via WhatsApp or FaceTime. See you here or there!