From Heartbreak to Hope: A Season That Reminded Me Why We Begin Again
Sometimes life brings us full circle. It breaks our hearts, reminds us what matters, and then shows us how much love we are capable of giving.
Namaste, friends.
It has been a little while since I last sat down to write a blog for Namaste Brows & Boutique. The last time I wrote, I was in the middle of the Minnesota State Fair, carrying a heart that was hurting in ways I could hardly explain.
Today, I woke up at 4 a.m. with a different heart. Not because all the pain has disappeared. Not because I have all the answers. But because, over these last several weeks, I have witnessed something so beautiful that I need to share it with you. I have witnessed the power of hope, the kindness of community and the incredible things that can happen when we stop asking ourselves, “What can I possibly do?” and start asking, “What can we do together?”
Let me take you back to where this story began.
The 2026 Minnesota State Fair began with a heaviness I will never forget.
Just before the Fair, devastating flash flooding in Nepal left communities suffering, including families in the Rasuwa district. Children lost their homes, their sense of security and in some cases, their entire family members. The news shook me deeply.
Nepal is home. It is part of who I am. And the people who make the beautiful handmade collections we bring to Minnesota are not just names behind products. They are people, families, mothers, and communities with dreams of their own. Standing at my booth at the State Fair, I was trying to do what I had come there to do: represent Nepal, share its beautiful culture, tell the stories behind our collections, and support the artisans whose work means so much to me.
But inside, I was hurting.
Visitors would stop by, see the items from Nepal, and ask how I was feeling about the flooding. I found myself sharing the stories, talking about the devastation, and trying to answer questions while carrying my own unsettled heart. There were moments when I felt strong. There were moments when I felt completely lost. There were tears, questions, and long stretches when I didn't know what to say or what to do.
I kept asking myself:
What can I do from here?
How can I help when I am so far away?
How can I use the resources I have, the people I know, my business, my social media, and even this little blog to make a difference?
I didn't have the answers. But I kept showing up.
And then came the last day of the State Fair.
My niece was born.
In the middle of so much sadness, a new little life arrived. A tiny human being, bringing joy, love, and a reminder that even when the world feels unbearably heavy, life continues to give us reasons to hope. The first day of the Fair, I was standing there feeling hurt and lost. By the last day, I was holding a new reminder of hope in my heart. What an incredible contrast.
The same season that brought me so much sadness also brought new life and joy. The pain was real, and so was the happiness. Maybe that is what being human is all about. We can be heartbroken and hopeful at the same time. We can feel lost and still take the next step. We can carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other. We don't always get to choose what happens to us. But sometimes, we can choose to keep going. And sometimes, keeping going means standing tall even when our hearts are still trying to find their way.
After the State Fair, I was exhausted. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, I needed a moment to breathe. But life does not always pause when we need rest. My sister-in-law, Sushma, was resting and recovering as a new mother, and the shop still needed to open. So I found myself back at Namaste Brows & Boutique, doing what needed to be done while carrying the exhaustion of the weeks before. And somewhere in the middle of all that, I remembered something important. This is exactly why I started Namaste Brows & Boutique.
I left my healthcare career in 2020 after becoming a mother during COVID. I wanted to create something of my own but I also wanted the freedom to be present for my children, to build a business around the life I wanted to live and to make a difference in my community. I wanted flexibility. I wanted purpose. I wanted to create something that allowed me to be a mother while still growing into the entrepreneur I dreamed of becoming.
Yet, somewhere along the way, I found myself doing what so many of us do. Trying to make everyone else happy. Trying to meet every expectation. Trying to be available, dependable, strong, and everything to everyone. And sometimes, in the process, we forget the very reasons we started. So, we made a decision. We shortened our shop hours. It may sound like a small change, but for me, it was a meaningful one. We chose to give ourselves a little more room to breathe, to care for our family, and to move through this season without putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves.
And you know what happened? Our customers understood. They continued coming in. They supported us. They were happy to hear about the new baby in our household. They asked about Sushma and celebrated this new chapter with us. It has now been almost 5 weeks, and we are doing well. Our customers are still coming through our doors. Our business is still moving forward. And our family has had a little more space to enjoy this precious season. I am so proud of us for making that decision. Because sometimes, entrepreneurship is not about working longer hours, saying yes to every opportunity, or proving how much we can carry. Sometimes, entrepreneurship is having the courage to say, “This is what works for us right now, and that is enough.” We started this business to create flexibility and freedom. We are learning to honor that promise to ourselves, too.
To every mother, caregiver, small-business owner, and person who feels guilty for choosing themselves sometimes: you are allowed to build a life and a business that take care of you, too.
You do not have to sacrifice every part of yourself to prove that you care. Sometimes, choosing yourself is how you find your way back to your purpose.
Even as I was finding my footing again at the shop, my heart was still in Nepal. Customers would come in and I would share stories about the flooding. I talked about the children, the families, the loss, and the questions that kept me awake. I have felt shaken. I have felt helpless. I have cried. I have wondered what one person, living thousands of miles away, could realistically do.
But I kept coming back to the same question: What can I do with what I have?
I have a small business. I have a community that has supported me. I have friends who believe in me. I have social media, a website, and a voice that I can use to tell these stories. Maybe I didn't need to have all the answers. Maybe I just needed to take the next step. So, I shared my unsettled heart with my dear friend Kathy Ramundt from Do Good Roseville. I told her what I was feeling and how deeply I wanted to help. And Kathy's response was simple but it meant so much to me. Let's create a fund.
She helped turn my overwhelming questions into something we could actually do. Together, we began creating a way for people here in the United States to support children and families affected by the disaster in Nepal. A fundraising account was created and people began donating generously. Every donation reminded me that I was not alone in this. People who had never met the children in Nepal were willing to give because they cared. Kathy's belief in me, and her willingness to take action alongside me, reminded me of something I have learned repeatedly on this entrepreneurial journey. Sometimes, you don't need someone to solve every problem. You need someone who believes in your heart enough to help you take the next step.
And sometimes, that is where a movement begins.
Then, about eleven days ago, my friend Chef Subhash Yadav stopped by the shop. I told him about the fundraising account. I shared my hope that more people would hear about the children in Nepal and find a way to help. And he said something that changed the direction of this story. "Let's do a fundraising dinner." Just like that, a conversation became an idea. An idea became a plan. And that plan became Night for Nepal.
On Sunday, October 11, beautiful people gathered at The Central Mix in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, for an evening of Nepali food, connection, generosity, and shared purpose.
Today, I woke up with a heart so full that I knew I needed to write.
90 people came together in one room. They shared an incredible meal, listened, connected, gave, and reminded me that even when a problem feels too big for one person, it can become lighter when a community chooses to carry it together. I looked around and saw more than guests at a fundraising dinner. I saw kindness in action. I saw people who were willing to spend their evening supporting children they might never meet. I felt the hugs, heard the words of encouragement, and received the kind of hope that reminds you to keep believing, even when you are tired. And I realized again that this work is so much bigger than me.
To everyone who made Night for Nepal possible, thank you. To Kathy Ramundt and Do Good Roseville, thank you for helping me turn a heavy heart into action and for believing that something meaningful could come from this idea. To Chef Subhash Yadav, thank you for sharing your extraordinary culinary talent, your time, and your generous heart. You could have simply listened to my story and wished me well. Instead, you helped create an evening that brought people together. To Shelley and The Central Mix, thank you for opening your doors and providing such a beautiful space for this gathering. To Jason from Fletcher's Ice Cream, thank you for preparing dessert and lending a helping hand in the kitchen. To every volunteer, supporter, ticket holder, and donor: thank you. Thank you for showing up, contributing, sharing the mission, and reminding me that kindness is still very much alive in our world.
I have partnered with Sano Paila in Nepal. I know the organization and I want to work with people who are on the ground and understand the needs of the communities they serve. My hope is to help connect the generosity of our community here in Minnesota with meaningful support for children in Nepal.
We are connected by our humanity. And when we choose kindness, we remind one another that even in the hardest seasons, hope is still possible. Thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for supporting our little business, for listening to my stories, for caring about Nepal, and for helping turn a painful season into an opportunity to serve. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude. This is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of something beautiful.
With love and gratitude,
Jeena Gurung Vomhof
Founder, Namaste Brows & Boutique
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