A Note From Aby: Happy Thanksgiving

When we started this upholstery shop some odd years ago, I remember thinking to myself that one day we would have our own building. We worked tirelessly from an old garage that had no heat in the winter, a small port-o-potty for a bathroom, and my office was an aquamarine square so small four people would make it feel crowded. I had no windows, no proper seating, and would try my best to host clients who solely trusted our business on the merit of reviews and our work.

And, almost like magic, that’s exactly what happened in October of 2015. I walked into what is now our main workshop and showroom and looked around to see the space exactly as I had pictured. Needless to say, it wasn’t an easy transition, I recruited help from mentors, relied heavily on my team to make the transition seamless, and hired an assistant that would turn Aby’s Upholstery into a brand. It was as beautiful as I’d pictured it. And, as most things do, time settles in—clients would come and go, and business seemed to be finding a steady rhythm.

Then, this year, COVID-19 entered in and ushered in a newfound uncertainty that required me, and my team to take some time away from work. We were required to stay home, with our doors closed for almost two and a half months. But, as it turns out, it’s exactly what needed to happen. I needed to take some time away from the rhythm, the bustle, the drive, that so many business owners go through. I needed to step back and see what I had built and learned how essential this short season of rest was pertinent for Aby’s Upholstery.

As we enter into this fall/winter season, as things settle down in nature, I’ve come to realize, just like at the beginning of COVID, when we were required to cease work, the promise of a new harvest, begins with the pause in nature’s pace. Nature doesn’t just continue to work and toil tirelessly until it’s exhausted, overworked, and strained—it requires a pause to replenish its nutrients and become rich to nurture growth in seasons to come.

For most of you that know me, you know that the statement above almost feels contradictory to my work ethic. I was made to work. I love to produce, to bear fruit, to check things off my to-do list, and see things grow. And while Silicon Valley and the world at large can often feel like it never sleeps and never stops working, I’ve come to realize that rest, is nothing to be afraid of.

This Thanksgiving, as so many of us are required to remain sheltered-in-place and limit our Holidays to the people we live with, I urge you to consider this a different season. A season of rest. Yes, I know, the thrill of the holidays is decorating, making food, eating, hearing laughter, and song, but this year, consider this pause in nature, a moment to ready your own soil for what is to come. How moments of quiet, even just a breath or two, will replenish you. This season is not wasted.

This year I will take a deep breath, sit back, and pause to think about and give thanks to all of you, who have supported us throughout this year, as well as for the good work that we have done and will do in the future. I will sit and give thanks and lean into the comfort of this season of rest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Aby