Recently, Dyan and I, our husbands, along with two close friends were able to carve out a couple days from our hectic schedules and plan a three day rafting trip down the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River. It’s been a tradition for the last couple of years and it just so happened our permits were drawn for Father’s Day weekend. Perfect! It’s something we have grown to look forward to though getting prepared for three full days of disconnection from our work can be quite an undertaking.
While June is notoriously slower for new business, we are wrapping up the escrows on over a dozen transactions generated in May. After a few grueling weeks of repair and appraisal negotiations, we were most definitely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and the three day break was not just in perfect timing, it was also at a time where there really weren’t a lot of loose ends.
We gave each of our clients a heads up that we had office coverage during this time but wouldn’t personally be reachable by email or cell phone. We received well wishes from those of us who know just how long our days and weeks have been and we got packed up and ready to head out. Dry camping for three days takes a fair amount of prep but there’s nothing we love more than being at one with nature surrounded by “our people.”
The night before departing, my husband came home with a tummy ache. And, I would be telling a lie if I didn’t admit the thought crossed my mind that this was an episode of “Man Cold.” For anyone of you who have been witness to great fall of our male counterparts, “Man Cold” is no joke. With the possibility that we may not go, my first reaction was to cry, but oddly enough there was also a bit of calm that arose, knowing our schedules were clear and if in fact Nate didn’t start feeling better, we had a solid three days for him to recover and me to love on him. Our childcare had been arranged, the dog was going to Grandma’s, our clients weren’t expecting to hear from me… all was well.
We ultimately made the tough decision not to go down the river. It might seem silly but both Dyan and I were on the verge of tears as they finished loading up and headed out….sans the Sicklers. Getting away at the same time is rare for co-owners of a business. We pride ourselves on having coverage around the clock so for us to truly break away without any outside distraction is so precious to us.
Four days later, it became clear the “Man Cold” (enter huge amount of guilt) wasn’t actually that and following our gut feeling to stay home was a wise one. Nate had a punctured appendix and now while we wait for the antibiotics to do their thing and the infection to clear up, we are counting our blessings for the opportunity to just rest and heal.
His schedule is busy and while this certainly impacted his commitments, he too was met with support and compassion by those he works with. My husband is one tough cookie so to see him suffer for four days before realizing the original diagnosis of stomach flu just wasn’t making sense is a sight to be seen.
We are grateful for the support system we have in our personal lives offering our help with our rambunctious boys and also grateful for the team of professional supporters who gladly took over our workload to allow time for healing and support. Refreshed from a few days on the river, Dyan jumped right in melding our two schedules into one. Linda eagerly added hours to her schedule to fill in the gaps and Nate’s crew at the Sheriff’s Office didn’t hesitate to offer their support to their fearless leader.
It’s moment like these when we get a fresh perspective on just how fortunate we are to be part of the incredible group we surround ourselves with. The sense of family is strong, whether we are related by blood or not.
