Sure, the pandemic is awful...it's disrupted our lives entirely! But is it ALL for the worse? Are there some silver linings behind these COVID gray skies? This is the first of many Spiels on Potter's Peel I sent to our local community after our family started delivering homemade pizzas to our neighbors. The outreach was purely a method to keep us connected and build upon a strong community bond. READ ON if you want some hope amongst all this pandemic mess!
As many of you know, my husband, Jason, started Friday pizza nights in our home kitchen just for our 4-person family. But when NYC (and the rest of the world) shut down due to COVID, so did his restaurant group, Blue Ribbon Restaurants. All 23 of them, in the matter of 2 days. Boom just like that.
On a Thursday he started out by personally visiting each NYC location, addressing the 150+ kitchen employees about the need to reduce everyone’s weekly hours-a deflating message to give to a staff who works paycheck to paycheck. And he ended his bearer-of-bad-news-duty less than 24 hours later with an even more devastating blow: that unfortunately he could not offer ANY of his employees ANY hours of work for at least the following 2 weeks.
2 days later, Jason received the same notice in the mail in the form of termination papers.
Now, I would be lying if I told you it didn’t feel like a sucker punch in the gut. It was like being totally blindsided by something you expected to happen. Like a batter getting knocked out after being hit in the head by a 120-mile fast ball. It all happened so fast we didn’t have time to comprehend what was happening and what was to become of our ever changing present moment.
I’m sure all of you can relate in some way. We are all going through this strange time, at the same time; but it’s affecting each one of us in its own unique way.
For my husband, he reacted the only way he knew how. Cooking. Creating. Sharing.
For me, I’ve found myself trying to find more time to Reflect, Give Attention to what matters most, and Write.
In doing this, I’ve come to realize this small, but kind gesture of offering homemade meals to our neighbors, has brought so much joy into our home, reassurance in our hearts, and a palpable sense of community up, down and all around the streets of Sea Cliff.
I get the sense this community has always been here, and we are honored to become a true part of its intricate weave.
On the outside, one might think this is such a scary and stressful time for us. We don’t know when Jason will go back to work with his company. We don’t know if they will be able to open all their units, or even if his job will exist...
But instead of feeling scared, or stressed, or panicked; we feel HOPEFUL, INSPIRED, UPLIFTED.
Sure, he can wait it out and hope all works out ok. Or maybe this is a time for Jason to start his own business right here in the town we live and love. In the time we are most uncertain, maybe we will be better off having gone through this trying time. Maybe, just maybe, we were meant to drive off course so we could find out we have been on the wrong path all along. I plan to write to you each week sharing our updates, developments, struggles and wins.
I hope this helps us feel a little more connected in our more disconnected times. Hang in there, ya'll!
Be well, Cromwell (and beyond)!
XOXO
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