I just came back from a road trip. Road trips are always fun, they get you to look at the world a little bit differently, to see things through the lens of a new perspective, increasing our understanding of where people come from and why they make the decisions that they do. Road trips help me realize that we all have different beliefs based on our diversity of experiences.
I had the great joy of visiting some friends who moved away from the North Shore, where they were transplants, after their husbands landed better career opportunities in new cities.
It was nice to see my friends in their new surroundings, with their possessions from their old homes, yet with their same gentle spirits. Their lives were a little bit better because of the risks they took by moving for better career opportunities to make their children’s future a little bit brighter, their marriages a little bit stronger, and their futures a little bit more fulfilling.
One such friend was a transplant from the South to the North Shore. She was happily back to a southern city she had lived prior to her 6 years in Milwaukee, and happy because she was close to her family again. She had questions about the latest developments at the kids school, the neighborhood, and of course, the coworking space. She was thrilled with the location and reflected on how having a community such as ours would have really helped her transition from the South to the North because for any city like Milwaukee where there aren’t as many transplants from far out-of-state, it’s harder for new people to find connections and build a social life. A business that connects women like this absolutely could not hurt a new family transplanted to Milwaukee.
Another friend moved Milwaukee from Uganda and has since relocated to South Carolina. She expressed regret at not living in the welcoming culture of Milwaukee, where skin color really was a nonissue versus what she faces while living in the South. She was so happy to see us, her old friends, and to have our kids reconnect as we reminisced about our past and looked forward to our future.
This is the beauty of community. This is the beauty of having friends, of building them up, and of helping us all grow and flourish. It lifts our spirits, it improves our families, and it builds our businesses, our livelihood, and, in turn, our lives.
The last friend I’ve visited with was the transplant from the Southwest. For years, she has helped cheer me on, and lead me along the way as we built this community. As always, she was full of insights on how to improve transitions, streamline our operations, and to make the up-and-coming logo even better. As always, she was a joy to be around. Yet, she was happy to be in her new surroundings, learning new things, growing as a person, and looking forward to her next professional endeavor.
So, on my trip I remembered that although people leave, they are still part of our community. They still care and know that we can all help each other build, grow, and become the best person that we can be while using our talents and flourishing. Even though someone moves away to fulfill their dreams, they leave a little bit of their hearts with us. And they are still cheering us on and rooting for us as we pursue our dreams and goals. They root, not only for ourselves, but for our families and our community.
So, as you cheer on, as you lead, and as you champion those that have moved away, those who have recently arrived, and those going about their day-to-day lives – remember that you, in turn, help make all of our lives a little bit richer, our communities a little bit stronger, and our days a little bit brighter.
Thanks for all that you do.