Thank You
Damn, the year flew by. I’m not much of a turkey guy; but I do love Thanksgiving; because its a time of reflection. We should give thanks all year-around; but sometimes we need a reminder. Life gets busy, even overwhelming–especially this time of year. The social gatherings, the obligations, and the traditions whether we like them or not. The holiday season is a time for celebration and what better way to celebrate than to say Thank You.
This Thanksgiving hits a little harder than years past. I woke up this morning –feeling…pretty good! Tired of course and definitely pissed about the blown compressor on the ice machine; but overall– pretty damn grateful. How did we get here? You believed in me and allowed me to live my dream.
Too many people to thank here. Seven years in–it took a village! I'm still thankful for those people who wrote us checks–restaurants are good investments, right? The people who helped build things, destroy things, and clean it all up. The designs, the photos, the things I had no idea how to do. Things that evolved as well as the things that remain. The introductions, the referrals–the extra time helping me understand. The discounted rates and the IOU’s that I could never repay.
Celebrating those special occasions no matter how big or small. Trekking through the snow or rain because you knew we needed the company, buying everyone in your orbit a gift card, or telling a friend its worth crossing the BQE: this is what I'm grateful for. Postcards from abroad, thank you notes, and maybe even a google review to fill up our tank. But also thankful for the honesty that pushes us to be better. Letting us know that we haven’t changed our answering machine since 2020 or letting us know we need to update our doordash menu–it all matters. Being cool when that pasta took a bit too long or we ran out of bread at 6pm.
Signing up for a wine dinner, taking work colleagues to dinner, enjoying a long summer lunch in the garden, or letting us cook in your home: it's all very special! Waving on your way past, looking out for the staff, & rocking your hot chicken t-shirt. They may be little things; but they are big to me and I promise to never take them for granted. The big things too: the weddings, the family gatherings, or even joining one of our wine trips.
Still to this day, my mom tells me I should have gone into finance or even been a teacher (apparently they get great benefits!). But I’m exactly where I need to be. Seven years in–there’s good days and bad; but I’m doing what I love and I'm thankful for that. I’m super grateful for a wonderful community and all the support from people near & far.
Appreciate you,
J