2005 to 2021
The Dry Eye Shop first opened its virtual doors in June 2005. And to anyone scratching their head over our covid math, yes, of course: it's really sixteen years, not fifteen.
This time last year (on our actual 15th anniversary) we were in the middle of moving to new digs - hauling stuff, getting a new stockroom and workstations set up, dealing with wiring and other essentials, buying giant beanbags for socially distant meetings. Layers of chaos intermixed with covid shutdown chaos. I don't even remember now whether we noticed the anniversary.
Then one day not long ago, Aidan suggested we could do a tongue-in-cheek 16-1=15 year anniversary - because one covid year doesn't count, right? That's when it finally clicked with me. I wanted an opportunity to celebrate and look back for a little while before pushing ahead with Dry Eye Foundation projects when Dry Eye Awareness month rolls around in July. So in the coming days I'm going to indulge in a bit of blogging about little-known Dry Eye Shop history.
The Dry Eye Shop has been a 16-year roller coaster ride. There is never a dull moment. Things go up, down and sideways, sometimes in rapid succession! Some parts are incredibly fun and energizing. Some are flat out terrifying. But a steadying force from the very beginning has been the richness of the relationships with people like you over the years. In our DryEyeShop ups and downs, this community has been a tower of strength with words of kindness, encouragement and generosity for every season.
You are the best. Thank you for being part of this journey.
I was happy to find Refresh Relieva, & even happier to find the Dry EyeShop, that has enabled me to efficiently get monthly deliveries of a bottle a month! Thank you all for running such a good business! However, I would like a bottle that makes it easier to get the drops out, especially when the eye-drop level gets lower & lower. With arthritic thumb joints, it gets so challenging to squeeze strongly enough to get the drops out. Ah well, the drops do their job very well once I get them in!
Thank you for the work you all do!
Congratulations, Rebecca! I think I was one of your first fans way back when! Finding The Dry Eye Zone offered me hope in some of those dark days…I knew I was not alone. You are one amazing woman with so much compassion and understanding of this frustrating condition because you have lived with it for so many years. And although your company has grown from those humble beginnings, you are still so approachable!
Here’s to many more years of success!