Some things can’t be planned.
Baby boy is arriving in May, just six weeks after we open Bamboo Ann Arbor in April.
At the opening, I won’t be able to bend down and tie my own shoe. A friend said, you'll be fine. Just wear slip on shoes. She is right.
I have to lead new locations and build a leadership team. Having a child at the same time forces me to develop stronger systems. It forces me to delegate and let others lead. It’s a privilege to have a team, a partner, and care giving support around the opening. Our journeys are never alone.
Amidst all of this, my dad fell ill. At sixty eight, he began experiencing bouts of confusion. He lost over twenty pounds in two months. His clothes fall off his body. He is thin and frail. He cannot tell you the day of the week or what he ate today, if he remembers to eat at all.
My sister and I had to jump into new roles as caregivers, and with this came waves of grief that swallowed me whole and lifeless for days.
The grief has settled. Dad is physically well, but has dementia. He is not himself. He has changed so much. He is still my dad.
There is grief in times of goodness, dedication in times of despair, and new life in the midst of all of the change.
I hope to share more soon and write more in 2024.
What a lot to manage! Thinking of you as you wade through this season of many transitions.