Matt's Thanksgiving Letter 2020

I’m sitting in my home office this Thanksgiving morning knowing that I committed to writing an email to all of you, but I’m not sure what to say.  Several months ago, I wrote a blog listing out everything that I’m thankful for during this very weird year when it seems like the first impulse is to complain.  It is funny how time and this year has worked.  That letter was written in June.  That seemed like we were on the tail end of a strange season.  However, the last 5 months have been a whirlwind.  Besides the ups and downs of the world outside of my immediate view, we have had some great times and some of the lowest of our lives. 

If you’ve been keeping up with my blogs, you probably have seen this business's progression play out. Hackberry started as a product line for Sagebrush Coffee, quickly turned into a passion project, and eventually developed into a huge part of our family business.  It has grown well beyond our initial dreams and we’re excited to help support multiple families with this business.  As we moved into our new location this last month, I cannot hardly believe how this business has grown.  I was talking to Jonathan the other day, that I am working my dream job and don’t even think of it as work.  I just get excited every day that I sit down and try to find the best teas I can get my hands on.  Then getting to take those teas and put the flavors on display in the best way possible is awesome.  As we’ve moved, we have grown in our production capacity and this last week I helped with production in a way that took me back to the early days of this business when I was learning how to roast coffee.  I love this business and could not be more thankful for the opportunity to do this for a living.  Thank you all for your support of Hackberry and giving us the chance to do what we do.

This has also been the most difficult few months. As I wrote about a month ago, the sudden and tragic loss of my 5-year-old nephew made October a blur.  Last night we enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner with my brother and his family and had a sweet time together.  After dinner we continued a tradition of sharing what we were thankful for.  The overwhelming majority of the people sitting at that table were thankful for each other.  It was such a sweet reminder that in a year where unity & love for others seems to be a fictional idea, it isn’t.  The overwhelming commands from the Bible are to love God and love others.  In good times and bad times those are strangely easy commands to forget.  I’m not sure why, but it is so much easier for me to focus on myself and that is a trap that never produces good fruit.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this afternoon with Jenna’s side of the family, we’ll not forget the to be thankful for those we’re celebrating with.  We hope you all do too!

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Hackberry


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