“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
― G. Michael Hopf
When I was a very little girl, once a year, my cousins and me used to get luxurious gifts in our bags for Christmas – the tangerines. Sometimes we even got to taste a real, instead of a compound chocolate.
These – now – considered basic goods, back then were really difficult to get in Poland. The country was just getting out of communism (it ended a year after I was born), production and private businesses were just being founded. It was a huge celebration when I got a Barbie together with her house and accessories (Ken was nowhere to be found, busy travelling across Western countries for business 
).
All of this was nice, of course.
But in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter. The most important was that we had each other. And we certainly didn’t feel poor. We had everything we needed to be happy and thrive. We had food. We were safe. We played, we laughed, we had hope and perspectives for a better future.
Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to be living in a peaceful, democratic country 
and fly to my hometown 
whenever I miss my mom and taste a freshly smoked mackerel for breakfast.
How lucky to live in a country where I can dress the way I want, do my hair the way I want, have access to knowledge and study what I want, and create a whatever business I want.
That’s why in times like these I remind myself to be grateful, because I know that health, peace and freedom of speech are not a given.
We need to be kind and help each other out when in need, because together we can get through any hardship. Together, we can build a brighter future for the next generations, and I’m incredibly proud of other entrepreneurs and good-willing people who often put others’ interest over theirs to challenge status quo and – no matter how cheesy it sounds – make the world a better place.
Merry Christmas 
.
