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My friend in Florida texted me recently and asked, “Are you ready for the storm?” The storm? I had no idea what he was walking about. I never do. But apparently, there is a storm coming, and we ought to be prepared. I suppose that’s a metaphor.
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This weekend, my wife and I are headed out of town on a two-year anniversary trip. Earlier this week, she said, “It’s been longer than two years, right? It’s been like… five at least—right?”
I had to agree with her. There was no other way for it to be. We both laughed and nodded in amazement. It’s been a wild couple of years. Some day, I’ll tell you all about it.
We’ve been through a lot, my wife and me, and we are just getting started. But this week, the storm is coming, and we are getting away. Maybe we shouldn’t do this. Maybe we shouldn’t drive an hour and a half south and hole ourselves up in a hotel for a weekend. But this is more a discipline than an indulgence.
We need this time together: to reconnect, to regroup, to remember why we started this crazy adventure in the first place. Blending a family is not for the faint of heart. So we try to recharge where we can and prioritize each other as much as possible amidst the madness. It helps to get away.
So away we go… to Alabama. As is the case with all things we do, it’ll either be amazing or terrible—and we’ll have an equally great time either way. That’s just how we roll.
In a couple of weeks, we’re headed to California to attend a writers conference (I’ll be speaking there—if you’re in northern CA, please consider joining us). We’re looking forward to that, to, even though it’s a work trip.
A client who does a lot of travel tells me he “hates it less” when he gets to bring his wife along, and I concur. Work is still work, but when the person you love and respect more than anyone in the world is beside you while you do it, it makes it much more tolerable. Plus, it’s just fun to go places with your partner in crime.
Years ago, a close friend told me the secret to a great relationship is to always have something to look forward to. I couldn’t agree more. But I’d add it’s not enough to just anticipate. You have to look forward to the person you’ll be spending that experience with—to the time you’ll share together, the memories you’ll create. Life, after all, is about what we do and who we do it with. And I can’t think of any experience that isn’t made phenomenally better without this woman. And that includes sitting in a hotel in northern Alabama while we wait for the storm to pass.
There’s always another storm, and it always, eventually, passes.
I’m happy to have her by my side on this journey, in the midst of another storm, eager to see where we’re headed next. It’s always somewhere. And hopefully, the way things have been going, the next fifty years feel like a couple centuries, at least.
In other news, I wrote a whole piece to share with you this week, but it’s just not ready yet. I believe I’m getting pickier with my writing in my “old” (i.e. middle) age. And I hope it’s for the best (that is, I hope you like it).
In the meantime, I thought you’d appreciate the following run-down of recent books friends, clients, and colleagues have published:
One Yes at a Time by Susan Strong. This family’s story of raising two different adopted daughters from two different birth families—both with ongoing connection between the biological parents and the children—is a beautiful picture of how every family has its own beautiful peccadilloes. I love the idea that all it takes to make any family work is to keep saying yes. Susan tells her family’s story beautifully and sensitively. I recommend it to anyone.
Hungry Authors by Liz Morrow and Ariel Curry. Liz and Ariel are both friends and former colleagues and have written the guide to getting noticed without being a social media superstar or insta-famous person. If you’ve ever wondered how to be taken seriously as an author without selling out or becoming someone you aren’t, read this book. The book itself is great, but the Foreword by Ally Fallon is worth the price alone.
Give to Grow by Mo Bunnell. This was one of the hardest-to-put-down books I’ve read recently. It’s a business book about the necessity of relationships—not as some sort of clever means of doing favors for people so that they’re obligated to respond in kind but rather a challenge to just be a genuinely giving person and see what kind of magic that creates in your life. Mo is a friend and practices what he preaches in surprising ways. Not only that, the book itself is eminently shareable and interesting. You’ll want to underline every line. I did.
Finding My Sovereignty by Tina Djuretic. Tina is a client of ours, and we helped her edit the book and prepare it for publication. This story of her life—coming from a dysfunctional family, realizing that she was an empath, and going on a long but powerful healing journey—will take you to multiple continents, introduce you to a whole host of characters, and have you wondering where in your own life you might need to confront some old demons.
Measuring Inclusion by Paolo Gaudiano. Paolo is also a past client of ours whose approach to DEI is surprisingly refreshing and non-condemning. His approach is simple and compelling to anyone in business: by focusing on inclusion, you will inevitably grow your bottom line. Backed with compelling research, clear case studies, and a compelling case for diversity in all workplaces, this one had me thinking differently about a subject I thought I understood (I was wrong).
Hopefully, there’s something in there for you to check out. On a more personal note, I’ve slowly been reading Annie Dillard’s An American Childhood, which needs to be appreciated slowly and with great care—just in the way I imagine she wrote it.
I also recently pulled Nabokov’s Lolita off the shelf and started thumbing through it. My grandfather loved his work, but I’ve admittedly never read anything by the man. I’ve been careful about reading this one in certain public places, but I can’t deny the beauty of the prose.
Next up, I intend to read Joyce’s Ulysses—maybe I need to start a banned books club or something. Anyway, I can hear the rain coming. I hope you are safe and well wherever you are.
Best,
Jeff
P.S. Let me know in the comments what storms you have to weather ahead, and which ones you’ve already survived. I am always amazed at the difficulties most people face on a near-daily basis, and the resiliency with which they meet those challenges.
Thank you for reading The Ghost. This post is public so feel free to share it.
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