Stress comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. And to be brutally honest, ‘stress’ never times its entry well. I had long thought of launching my own candle brand and in 2020 I was about to see my dream turn into reality. I had worked day and night perfecting my aromas and shapes along with the branding of my candles. All that was left were custom cardboard boxes for my candle packaging. But before I could begin my search for the perfect candle boxes, Covid 19 struck!
I had invested the best of my energies and resources to launch my candle brand, and now I felt hanging with a rope of uncertainty. The few weeks of initial lockdown were my best hope, but as I saw the cases and deaths surge, I went deeper into the limbo. Anxiety attacks became a routine, uncertainty loomed like dark circles around my eyes and panic attacks made my breathing tricky. Every time my breathing became difficult, another fear would kick in. Covid? Or not?
The companies I had short-listed for my custom candle boxes all shut down. I had nothing but samples sent to me by various vendors. Unprinted blank boxes, they gave me the worst of depressions. Scratching my head, I looked for options online. The Chinese were willing to work, but nothing was coming in from there. India was facing a world of issues itself. Hongkong and Bangladesh gave limited hope but refrained from giving a definite delivery date. I had never imagined that suddenly it would become impossible to acquire customized cardboard boxes. There were literally no cardboard boxes near me or anywhere else in the world.
One day, a miracle struck and I stumbled upon an online packaging company called Blue Box Packaging. They were still operating since they have a production facility in Dubai. To my wholesome surprise, they were commuting to deliver the cardboard custom boxes within 18 working days.
I was apprehensive at first. I thought this has to be a scam. I couldn’t visit their facility in New Jersey, for obvious reasons. But I was gasping to hang on to whatever little thread of hope someone had to offer. Thinking, overthinking, and then thinking some more, I decided to take the leap of faith and placed a small order for my custom candle boxes.
Blue Box Packaging’s consultants and design team were all so forthcoming that it made me feel even more anxious. How could this be real? How could during these times they could be offering free of charge design assistance and shipping? While people stocked toilet paper, this company was offering FREE services? My last hiccup was when I had to make the payment in full and in advance. I told myself to think about the effort I had put into launching my brand. The resources I had deployed the research I had done. It all came down to that one payment. After which there was nothing, I could do but wait. and so, I did! I made the payment and went to bed. I didn’t ‘t want to think about the numerous outcomes. I didn’t want any negativity. I just wanted one night of peaceful sleep-in months.
One day passed and then another and another. each morning I’d wake up with my heartbeat getting out of hand and my breathing refusing to go normal on me. after 14 working days, I started feeling a deep numbness. Almost as if I didn’t care anymore. Such was my state of depression that I started considering giving up. Giving up on my dream! then came an email from Blue Box Packaging. I clicked on the email like a mantis lunges for its prey. My heart almost burst. My breathing got stuck in my chest. My hand started shaking. Either I went deaf or the world went quiet. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. They had sent me the tracking number of my boxes that had been shipped.
CARDBOARD CANDLE BOXES IN PERSPECTIVE
This is the first time when I really truly started to believe that my cardboard candle boxes might actually be arriving. I tracked my boxes several times every day. and on day 18, the status showed that the boxes were in California. as I went to share the news with my boyfriend, the doorbell rang. Moving like wind, I checked the front door to find the delivery guy holding the box that I had seen in my email. once he left the box on my doorstep, I proceeded to disinfect the delivery box. Once inside, I handled the box like it contain fragile glass items instead of custom cardboard boxes. Once I opened the box, I could see the world’s most beautiful candle boxes smiling at me. welcoming me into their warm and peaceful world. tears rolling down my cheeks, I wrote Blue Box Packaging an email thanking them for saving my dream. Sometimes, all you need is a stroke of good luck to pull you out of the abyss called stress, and suddenly life exposes itself in perspective!