I have a pretty good memory, not as good as it used to be but still good enough. What I have lost in sheer capability I think I have offset with a little maturity, better use of the capabilities still available. For others it would be called wisdom but no one is ever going to describe me as wise and keep a straight face. All said, I was asked a simple question recently and it stopped me in my tracks. Not only did I reflect to come up with the answer but I spent a moment to commit the interaction to memory.

As I told a group stories of changing my life, buying the winery, and learning sometimes very awkwardly to run a small business in Maine, a woman asked “Would you do it all again?” Brilliant in its simplicitiy. With six simple words, she cut through the noise of my self-deprecating stories and forced me to take a step out of the trees to remember to look at the forest. And the forest looks great. I love working with Lani and my team, welcoming guests into our tasting rooms, and managing the self-created chaos. “Yes, I would do it all again!”. Thank you to Deb for the reminder how rich in living this chapter in my journey has been.

Don’t be surprised if I ask you the same question at some point, now that I have decided it is important and have committed it to memory. It will get reused much as an old friend Bob’s “You have to have hope” and Jack’s “You (the capital markets) get to use the cheap money until we (industrial America) have a good use for it”.

Much as I aspire to provide our guests a highlight for their days, I encourage you to have hope and wish that you can answer the question as I did, “Yes, I would do it all again”.  We can discuss Jack’s insight another time.

Best,

Bettina