The Journal 01: Coming of Age

Back with another entry, as promised. It marks the introduction of a new series called "The Journal", were we flat out share our thoughts with you; thrilling isn't it? This week's topic is "Coming of Age". Bizarre, you might think; this is a kids wear brand after all, and the little beans we carefully craft collections for still have a long way to go till they reach that point. That's definitely very true, but it's also true that this blog is much more so for you parents out there, doing the buying. We chose this theme because we believe it would be a good way to momentarily tune back in with the mindset people younger than ourselves have, in hopes of understanding our children better, and perhaps establishing some common ground between us as we do our best to raise them.

A Balloon Chic team member recalls, "Growing up, the piece of advice I most frequently received was to make my future professional decisions based on what I loved to do. Only then, the adults would say, will you be on the right track to both success and happiness. I'm sure they meant to be supportive, but little did they know, their words of counsel were to become my main source of anxious teenage distress during years to come. Every passing year, you see, I giddily waited to happen upon that special something that would set my soul alight, and make me instantly realize there was nothing in the world I would rather do for the rest of my life. Alas, the eureka moment never came. I was a great student, but not too keen on any of my subjects. I was above average at everything, yet not exceptional at anything. Any excitement I might have momentarily felt for music, biology experiments, literature, high school volley ball, what have you, fizzled out soon after. And while I was contemplating the woes of being indecisive, friends and fellow students around me were making up their minds about becoming lawyers, doctors, artists. I could probably sum up the entire spectrum of my emotions at the time with the following question: why am I like this? Why am I like this, I would constantly ask myself in frustration, what is wrong with me? I didn't like anything at all, so if the advise the grownups had been giving me held any truth, that probably meant I was bound to be miserable, and a failure. Being older and hopefully wiser than I was back then, I now know both I and the adults trying to help me, had it all wrong".

Having both immense love and exceptional aptitude for something is a gift, and the appearances of it few and far in between. A very small number of people are fortunate enough to have been born with a talent so audacious, and with a liking of their craft so strong, that it wouldn't be anything short of a waste if they did not pursue it professionally. As such, the advice we give our children shouldn't be to pursue something they adore; because chances are, there will be no such thing. We should tell them to take comfort in the fact that they will likely love whatever they end up doing, because it will offer them their lives. We should tell them to rather worry about cultivating in themselves the qualities that are integral to professional success across all fields; discipline, hard work, patience and dedication. These are traits they should strive towards, even if they do not yet know the context they will one day apply them in. That way they will at least be certain that no matter where life takes them, they will stand their ground and make the most of it.

All our love, the Balloon Chic team x