The History of Topiarius: Chapter 5

Good news! Craig and I remembered our wedding anniversary! High-five to 25 years!

Believe it or not, there was an anniversary when neither of us remembered. Not because we were caught up in something fantastic, but because we both had our heads down and were working A LOT. I believe we were both still working in the field so it was probably the late 2000’s, i.e. a while ago.

I happened to be the first one to get home that day and checked the mail. I was surprised to see a card in the pile, so I opened it first. It was from my in-laws wishing us a happy anniversary.

I had completely forgotten what day it was . . . I was dumbfounded!

But . . . not without a sense of humor.

Pretty soon after I got home, Craig walked through the door. I asked him if he had made dinner plans for our anniversary.

Well, the poor guy went white as a ghost. He could barely apologize because he was in such a state of shock and embarrassment.

I immediately realized my joke didn’t land and hurriedly explained that I too had forgotten. It was only the card that had reminded me.

I’m not a psychologist, but I feel like it’s pretty interesting that we both forgot. We were so consumed with work that neither of us were keeping tabs on our personal lives.

You’d think that I would have learned a lesson then, but businesses have a life of their own and with that comes different seasons, chapters, and transformations.

Over the last few months, like many other businesses, Topiarius has not been immune from staff turnover. In the midst of these transitions, it’s required an all hands on deck approach to provide the quality service we take pride in. And with a pat on all of our backs, I believe our incredibly supportive and smart staff have been able to accomplish this.

But it has also acutely reminded me of what I felt like when we missed our anniversary. While our day-to-day activities are different now, it’s still possible to be in a frenetic space where all sense of time is lost and days, weeks, and months just “disappear.”

Here’s the even better news about this time around, though. 

First, our company has some strong shoulders – a multitude of shoulders, not just Craig’s and mine – that can successfully “shoulder” the transition as we re-develop our team. (Still trying out my humor.)

And secondly, we’re leaning on and into the mission of our company. Topiarius is all about living a beautiful lifestyle outdoors, which provides a connection to nature, a connection to others, and a connection to ourselves.

And so a month after my last weekly email, I’m glad to be reconnecting with you and spending as much time outdoors as I want – so I can keep my head up and keep tabs on my life. So grand!