Dearest Jay,

This will be your third year working at our family business DOMitp. You've experienced the massive warehouse where all the merchandise from around the world is stored.

And participated in the process of delivering the items to storefronts.

One question you always ask (as a curious future entrepreneur) is "How did these things get to the warehouse?" as you cart boxes from store to store. Your Dziadek explains how Babcia and him travel around the world to look for carefully crafted items made by hand that buyers will enjoy. It will be many years before you can join them on one of their expeditions but in the meantime a photo essay of their most recent trip will illustrate the process.

A month after Christmas, Babcia and Dziadek travel to Poland.

They visit a factory where glass is blown.

The glass is left to dry in the shape of an ornament. The long stems are cut off when dried.

An artist hand paints each ornament, one by one, using colors/designs we picked out.

Another artist carefully applies any embellishments under our direction.

Babcia and Dziadek collect the beautiful samples (each a piece of art) to bring back to Chicago.

And they monitor the progress of ornaments they designed, exclusive designs, only available at our store.

When your grandparents arrive home they begin to order large quantities of the ornaments they loved. The merchandise is placed in an enormous container that travels across the ocean and arrives in the warehouse that you know so well. That's where your important job comes in - to deliver the items to the stores so that other people will enjoy them as much as our family does.

I'm sure if you review your stellar work performance with the boss, he can pencil in a future work trip. I'd love for you to witness the passion your grandparents have and observe the fine craftsmenship in person.

Love,

Mama