I love to write and I have been itching to do it.
I come to my desk at least once a week and just stare at my keyboard, my mind full of thoughts I'd love to get down (and out of my head) but get overwhelmed with the idea of where to start after going so long without composing myself.
The last 3+ years have been like nothing any of us have ever experienced.
I went into the pandemic a hopeful, inspired small business owner with a partner who went happily to work each day and two kids who thrived at school and sport.
I struggled to keep my little retail shop girl dream alive with all the new requirements and restrictions put upon us, sure.
But it was all normal stuff. Beyond the ever-changing rules to doing business in pandemic times, the adversity I faced back then was mostly stuff I brought upon myself.
Taking fresh risks, trying new things.
I rather enjoyed the anxiety of it all if I'm honest.
We navigated ("pivoted" if you MUST) quickly and, as far as appearances on the outside, did it well. Taking markets to the web, investing heavily on the online legs of our business with a big website upgrade, social media training and implementing techie tools like automated emails.
For a minute it was fun challenge in creative thinking. But then things just dragged on.
I know it did for you too.
This isn't my story of woe. I'm not suffering more than anyone else.
If anything the suffering of others makes me feel guilty for even feeling down at all. But I'm learning that there's room for feeling your feelings while still acknowledging how privileged you are to be safe, and loved, and fed.
Maybe you can relate to that.
When we could finally get back to doing business as usual, the street that our shop lives on started undergoing an intense construction period that would go on for the next two years.
So really, when you think about it, it's been more than 3 years since we've experienced operating Cheerfully Made free from literal (in the correct sense of the word for once) barriers to doing business.
