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What stood out to me about this necklace was the contradiction between the sentiment expressed (Peace) and the leather it was strung on. To me, one of the greatest examples of violence and disconnection in our culture is the institution of factory farming and slaughter, the source of that leather. So I wrote a letter. It was passionate and hurried, and I didn't keep a copy. What I remember is that I asked that they reconsider carrying the product.

To my great surprise, today I received this letter in the mail:

"Heather,
Thank you for your letter about our Peace Trilogy Necklace and the contradiction between the stated purpose of the necklace and the material it's made of. While we've heard from several other customers about this same issue, your letter was the final blow, so to speak. We asked the vendor to put this necklace on faux leather months ago, but she wasn't willing to make that change. We just said "Oh well, we tried," and were going to let it go at that. However, after getting your letter, we've let the vendor know that we're pulling the neklace from the catalog if we cant' get it without leather.
Thank you for being so adamant and eloquent about this issue. Because you and others are willing to speak up, you are helping to make a change.
Sincerely,
Mary Arter"

I am thrilled with this response. I love that other people have also expressed concerns. I love that they are willing to take a stand. And I love that they are hoping to continue working with this particular vendor if she makes this small change.

I am elated, in this sometimes dismal world, to have helped make a change. I encourage you to take this holiday season as your opportunity to shop within your values. Evan's post can help. Don't let the lights and shiny, colorful objects in the big box stores suck you in - choose gifts and decorations that fit your budget and your values!