Hello Friends!
It was exactly five years ago this week that WE went into “LOCKDOWN.”
I say WE with a capital W because wasn’t it crazy, WE included all of us - EVERYONE in the Whole Wide World!
I was reminiscing about this while walking the boardwalk this morning when I ran into my friend Rick who I often see walking the boards. Ironically, it was Rick five years ago that pulled his hand back when we passed each other with our normal “high five.” He was the first person that mentioned the “China virus” five years ago. It was only a day or so later, I got a text message from one of my massage therapists with a blurb about “social distancing.”
It may be a distant memory for some but I remember vividly how the month of MARCH 2020 unfolded. It’s worth remembering!
I think life feels like it’s falling apart sometimes and this was definitely one of those times. I had given notice at the end of December 2019 to my landlord that Therapeutic Touch would NOT be renewing our lease and we were moving out by March 31, 2020.
It’s a long story, but I had a PLAN!
The plan involved moving Therapeutic Touch down the block to #106 Bridge Ave. With a new lease signed, I was in midst of getting permits to put up a few walls. Needless to say, there was lots to do but I had a list and we had a plan.
I know I mentioned it already but I HAD A PLAN!
Regardless, EVERYTHING fell apart and came together in the most mysterious way imaginable.
The Bay Head building & zoning office shut down before I had my permits in hand. I had submitted my application, fees, architectural drawings and was just waiting for the stamp of approval. Timing is everything and sometimes the clock is ticking and you miss the boat.
Since without the permits, our new place couldn’t be ready and I had to be out of 58 Bridge Ave by 3/31 so we put everything from Therapeutic Touch into storage for what we thought was a few weeks. (Side note: I had always been one of those people that swore I’d never need a storage unit LOL)
We were shut down for three and a half months. Hard to believe but it was early July ‘20 before the state of NJ Board of Health gave the green light to reopen. It seemed there was a ray of hope but imagine finding out that the building office was 3-4 months behind in inspections. We couldn’t be in for the summer so PLAN A no longer made sense.
PLAN B fell into place.
TT downsized initially to two rooms @ 92 Bridge Ave (our ANNEX) which we had since 1998. Thank you lucky stars I held onto our Annex room on the lake all these years. We reopened JULY 2020 with a skeleton crew and two rooms. We were up and running again. It’s what they called “pivoting.” It was a slow crawl but we’ve been more than resilient. We bounced back - downsized and dare I say better!
I learned a lot during this time of trials & tribulations. It’s often been said “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Not sure I agree…but looking back, I know I have become stronger and perhaps more wiser.
I learned to LET GO of what I can’t control. Perhaps leaving scratch marks but I’ve learned it’s much harder and more painful to hang on and sometimes ya gotta let go. I have a card framed in my bedroom that I looked at often…it says “ONLY WHEN SHE STOPPED HANGING ON SO TIGHTLY DID SHE BEGIN TO FLY!
I TRUST LIFE now more than ever. During lockdown, I reread Pema Chodrens book “When things Fall Apart.” Oddly, I read chapter one “Intimacy with Fear” over and over. It seemed like the end of the world and I so much wanted to run away from what was happening but she teaches when we argue with reality - we suffer more. So I gave up - embraced FEAR head on in the present moment and let me tell you- it was liberating!
Things don’t always work out as planned. Isn’t that the truth! Someone once said - when we make plans, GOD laughs.
Also hanging on my wall is “Things work out BEST for those who make the BEST of how things work out.” I want to be one of those persons!
EQUANIMITY - if there’s one word I’ve been reaching for the last 5 years it’s equanimity. It’s my North Star - how can we remain CALM in the midst of CHAOS? Getting there is different for everyone…I don’t know what works for you but I have my tried and true. NATURE FRIENDS & FAMILYMUSIC PRAYER and combining ALL of these things in NATURE with NATURE is the BEST!
I am immensely grateful for all these twist and turns. A wise mentor told me years ago that owning a business is like personal growth on steroids. He said being an Entrepreneur will take you places you never dreamed of and sometimes places you don’t want to go. And what a journey it has been Therapeutic Touch is coming up on our 37th year in Bay Head. Thank you so much for your support and inspiration.
We sure are lucky & blessed!
Patti
It was exactly five years ago this week that WE went into “LOCKDOWN.”
I say WE with a capital W because wasn’t it crazy, WE included all of us - EVERYONE in the Whole Wide World!
I was reminiscing about this while walking the boardwalk this morning when I ran into my friend Rick who I often see walking the boards. Ironically, it was Rick five years ago that pulled his hand back when we passed each other with our normal “high five.” He was the first person that mentioned the “China virus” five years ago. It was only a day or so later, I got a text message from one of my massage therapists with a blurb about “social distancing.”
It may be a distant memory for some but I remember vividly how the month of MARCH 2020 unfolded. It’s worth remembering!
I think life feels like it’s falling apart sometimes and this was definitely one of those times. I had given notice at the end of December 2019 to my landlord that Therapeutic Touch would NOT be renewing our lease and we were moving out by March 31, 2020.
It’s a long story, but I had a PLAN!
The plan involved moving Therapeutic Touch down the block to #106 Bridge Ave. With a new lease signed, I was in midst of getting permits to put up a few walls. Needless to say, there was lots to do but I had a list and we had a plan.
I know I mentioned it already but I HAD A PLAN!
Regardless, EVERYTHING fell apart and came together in the most mysterious way imaginable.
The Bay Head building & zoning office shut down before I had my permits in hand. I had submitted my application, fees, architectural drawings and was just waiting for the stamp of approval. Timing is everything and sometimes the clock is ticking and you miss the boat.
Since without the permits, our new place couldn’t be ready and I had to be out of 58 Bridge Ave by 3/31 so we put everything from Therapeutic Touch into storage for what we thought was a few weeks. (Side note: I had always been one of those people that swore I’d never need a storage unit LOL)
We were shut down for three and a half months. Hard to believe but it was early July ‘20 before the state of NJ Board of Health gave the green light to reopen. It seemed there was a ray of hope but imagine finding out that the building office was 3-4 months behind in inspections. We couldn’t be in for the summer so PLAN A no longer made sense.
PLAN B fell into place.
TT downsized initially to two rooms @ 92 Bridge Ave (our ANNEX) which we had since 1998. Thank you lucky stars I held onto our Annex room on the lake all these years. We reopened JULY 2020 with a skeleton crew and two rooms. We were up and running again. It’s what they called “pivoting.” It was a slow crawl but we’ve been more than resilient. We bounced back - downsized and dare I say better!
I learned a lot during this time of trials & tribulations. It’s often been said “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Not sure I agree…but looking back, I know I have become stronger and perhaps more wiser.
I learned to LET GO of what I can’t control. Perhaps leaving scratch marks but I’ve learned it’s much harder and more painful to hang on and sometimes ya gotta let go. I have a card framed in my bedroom that I looked at often…it says “ONLY WHEN SHE STOPPED HANGING ON SO TIGHTLY DID SHE BEGIN TO FLY!
I TRUST LIFE now more than ever. During lockdown, I reread Pema Chodrens book “When things Fall Apart.” Oddly, I read chapter one “Intimacy with Fear” over and over. It seemed like the end of the world and I so much wanted to run away from what was happening but she teaches when we argue with reality - we suffer more. So I gave up - embraced FEAR head on in the present moment and let me tell you- it was liberating!
Things don’t always work out as planned. Isn’t that the truth! Someone once said - when we make plans, GOD laughs.
Also hanging on my wall is “Things work out BEST for those who make the BEST of how things work out.” I want to be one of those persons!
EQUANIMITY - if there’s one word I’ve been reaching for the last 5 years it’s equanimity. It’s my North Star - how can we remain CALM in the midst of CHAOS? Getting there is different for everyone…I don’t know what works for you but I have my tried and true. NATURE FRIENDS & FAMILYMUSIC PRAYER and combining ALL of these things in NATURE with NATURE is the BEST!
I am immensely grateful for all these twist and turns. A wise mentor told me years ago that owning a business is like personal growth on steroids. He said being an Entrepreneur will take you places you never dreamed of and sometimes places you don’t want to go. And what a journey it has been Therapeutic Touch is coming up on our 37th year in Bay Head. Thank you so much for your support and inspiration.
We sure are lucky & blessed!
Patti
