We’re All Doing the Best We Can

It’s Me.  Hi… 

Last night, I unboxed a new computer.  Is there anything more decadent?  It likely has a lot to do with how Apple packages their products… and even the way that darn box opens, but it just feels luxurious.  I bought this new MacBook because my old one (a theme) seemed a little tired.  It seemed a little worn.  The battery wears down way too quickly (getting hot at times), and frankly… there is very little memory left.  Wow, if that’s not an analogy for this moment in time, I don’t know what is…

My thought in getting a new laptop was that I’d be inspired to spend a little more time behind it and that I’d return to my little corner on the internet.  The transfer of data completed overnight, and well, friends… I’m here.

It is incredible that nearly a year has gone by since I’ve last written anything on this site.  This was always a page I used to visit to capture my thoughts, my feelings, my successes, my finds… and well, it’s been stuck on my word of the year for a very long time (or perhaps the very exact amount of time I needed.)

EXHALE

I literally could not have picked a better word for myself in 2022.  Exhale.  More than anything in 2022, I needed to exhale.

Perhaps not exactly in that Whitney Houston kind of way… but in a truly needing to BREATHE kind of way.  In a “let the damn dishes pile up; it’s okay” kind of way.  I needed to breathe and wanted to sigh out all of that hot air I’d been holding in.  And that air wasn’t always cool and mint-flavored as it came out, at times it was fiery breath that nearly choked me on the intake.  Whatever came out, it has been an absolute pleasure to let it all go.

To say that 2022 has been a hell of a year would fall short in describing its impact.  I doubled down on some dreams at the beginning of the year and took on more than ever before.  I started a new job, built an entirely new team, sold my home I’d lived in for 13 years, and built another.  And that was all by February.  As the year moved forward, I’ve made this house a home… and I’ve even figured out how to get snow removed and the grass mowed (all new-to-me needs!)  I’ve learned how to live in an entirely new town, while getting to know a few new folks in the area.  I’ve excelled at work and built the most awesome team along the way.  I’ve traveled home to see family and dusted off my frequent traveler card after two years.  It’s been a lot, but the time would have passed anyway.

They say some of the most stressful things you can do is 1) Move  2) Start a new job.  There are a lot of other items that seem more catastrophic… but in my little world, that was enough earthquake for me.  And while I didn’t do it all perfectly, I did the best I could.

I spent Small Business Saturday with a friend, and I mentioned to her I couldn’t believe we hadn’t seen each other in two years.  So wise, she responded to me “We’re all doing the best we can.”  And, that phrase has stuck with me ever since.

We are all challenged with things in our life that seem unbearable or unattainable.  We all are facing things that only we can solve.  We are all carrying much more than humanly possible.  Can’t we just for a moment agree, we’re all doing the best we can?  Even typing that phrase out, I immediately feel better, more relaxed.  I’ve said this at least ten times since she said it.  And every time, it feels like a hug.

So, I’m back writing here for the first time in a million, and if you’re wondering where I’ve been, just know… I’ve been out here doing the best I could and I hope you’ve done the same.

With this shiny new laptop, I’m hoping to be back soon with more updates… but hello for now.