SUNNYSIDE UP MOMENT - MAY 27, 2020

DAY SEVENTY-TWO OF THE CORONAVIRUS QUARANTINE FOR US AT STACK 'EM HIGH PANCAKES AND SO FORTH

Last night, after a long day (really after a long two months) of playing amazingly well with each other, the kids retreated to their respective rooms for a little personal downtime.  Out of the blue, Theo yelled, “hey mom, I guess the opposite of the Grateful Dead would be the Ungrateful Living.”  And from the other room where Eleni was exiling herself from her little brother, she yelled, “hey mom, this lady in the Reader’s Digest wrote thank you notes every single day for a whole year!”  Well, I guess this Sunnyside Up Moment better be about thanksgiving since it seems to be coming from every corner of the house.

We are headed into the restaurant today for the first time in two and a half months.  The reality is as exciting as it is daunting.  No matter what the coming weeks or months bring, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be moving forward with a team as strong as ours.  We are so fortunate to have a staff that shows up, and I don’t mean for their shift.  I mean they really show up for their teammates, for this endeavor, for this family, ready and willing to get the job done well.  Sure, we bicker in the heat of the summer.  We get irritated by each other’s idiosyncrasies.  We suffer through minor power and control issues and struggle to keep it together at times.  But when it is all said and done, we really do love each other in a way that shows in our food, our service, our vibe and so forth.  Just like Eleni and Theo as brother and sister, we have our moments, but overall, our moments are pretty great.  There is no one I would rather be walking into the restaurant with today than these folks.  Thornton Wilder said, "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."  I am fully aware of the gifts that surround me which makes me grateful and living all at once.

Here is a link to the Reader's Digest article Eleni was reading, it's a pretty great idea.

https://www.rd.com/culture/writing-thank-you-notes-helped-me-reconnect/