LIFE IS GOOD - Living the Logo

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

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After having the trouble erupt with my son over losing his Social Security, I asked
Barbara and Dawn not to print my “Life is Good” piece. I was too depressed and
disillusioned and felt like a hypocrite thinking of the positive things I said in the article.
But since I posted the story about Joe, the outpouring of empathy and support has been
astounding! Dear friends and perfect strangers alike have offered advice and prayers and
I’m SO grateful! I let myself forget that no matter how low the lows may get at times,
there are people who care. Life is indeed good! Thank you all for reminding me of that!

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I had never heard of the Life is Good company until a few years ago when a friend 
gave me one of their t-shirts. A few of the teachers I worked with and I formed a 
Kayak club and this friend bought us all the “Jake Kayaking” t-shirt with 
their famous mantra “Life is Good”. 
I loved the shirt but didn’t think much about the company or the saying.           

     
Sometime later, my husband bought me a t-shirt with Sprocket the dog roasting a marshmallow over a campfire, again with the same saying. I wore the shirt as we set off on a trip to Chattanooga for the Coker Challenge, an antique car rally. We drove our truck and pulled a 1961 MG on the trailer behind us. As we flew down the interstate, somewhere in rural Georgia, not one but two tires blew. The truck swerved out of control and right into the path of a semi tractor trailer barreling towards us at 70 miles per hour.We looked directly into the eyes of the terrified truck driver who could do absolutely nothing. Miraculously, we continued to slide out of his way and off the road, over an incline and into a deep ditch seconds before what we believed was the imminent impact. People stopped their cars and came running, thinking we were surely dead or critically injured. I remember looking at my husband who, like me, was sitting in stunned silence, without a scratch or bump on us. I looked down at my shirt and thought “Life is good!” The truck and trailer were totaled, we never made it to the rally, and the ditch was filled with water, bugs and snakes. But we were together and we were alive!

     

Since that day, I’ve taken an interest in this company that strives to spread optimism. I learned that 2 brothers started the company and their goal is to keep it simple and to the point. Their products encourage, cheer and inspire people to enjoy life and appreciate the simple pleasures it offers. They use Jake and his dog Sprocket to bring humor and a spirit of lightheartedness to each day. A golfer’s shirt that reads  “fairway to heaven” or  a picture of Sprocket wagging his tail with  “instant message” written below, show the wit and philosophy of this great company.

     

If you think viewing their designs and motivational sayings is inspiring, wait until you visit their home page and read the letters they’ve received! I thought there would be  one or two nice little “love your stuff” letters, but by the time I read the pages and pages of touching testimonials to how people adopted the Life is Good philosophy and used it to change their lives, conquer their fears, survive their tragedies, I was totally on board!

    
I know people like these, who take life as it comes, try never to complain, and keep a positive attitude. They adhere to the “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” way of thinking. I admire these people and want to be more like them. I want to be able to put a smile on people’s faces with a bit of humor and get back to simplicity, because when you can do these things, life is good!

     
So I thank the Life is Good company for the work they do, for giving back (check out their many charities and good works), and for promoting a philosophy that makes this planet a better place. I am grateful for being given permission to reproduce their designs for the purpose of this post and for being able to give you the link to discover more about them and the great things they do.