Earlier this summer, a very special Etsy seller died. His name was Slavko, and, until he died and I saw post after post after post about him in the Etsy forums, I had never even heard of the man. Turns out, he was the kind of man I wish I had had the honor of knowing.
Many people posted comments and stories about Slavko. They talked about what a wonderful family man he was. They talked about how friendly and helpful he was. He was certainly talented, I could see that from his work. And he took the time to reach out to people - to connect with them, to help them, to offer advice.
Reading all of the posts about Slavko brought me to tears. Because of wonderful things that were said about him. Because of all the thoughtful things he did. And because I missed out on knowing a really incredible man.
Just days after his death, I was lucky enough to have an item from my shop, FeltOnTheFly, featured in a treasury that was created in honor of Slavko. I was really moved, because I had felt such strong emotions upon learning about the man. And today, imagine my surprise when I was notified that another item from my shop was featured in a treasury - and it was another treasury dedicated to Slavko. I mean, what are the chances, right?
If you believe as I do, that certain things happen for a reason, then you will understand when I say that this experience has given me cause to reflect on the meaning of this "coincidence". Again, I am moved, and I am inspired to reach out to others in the manner that I imagine Slavko did. Not that I am anywhere near as special as he was, but I can reach out in my own way, and can make a conscious effort to do so. Every kind thing that we can do for someone else makes the whole world a better place.
I may not have had the pleasure of knowing Slavko, but I will certainly have the pleasure of becoming a better person thanks to the example he set.
This treasury, by the way, was created by a lady who is a buyer on Etsy. Thank you Cyn.
