It's early January and the year is booming with new bookings
I'm racing around and finally get home to check your emails. Life can be hectic at times, and when you're running your own business time can get away on you.
Time, if only we had more of it.
I plonk myself down in front of my laptop and prepare for the next hour loading social media and tuning into the news, yes multi-tasking at it's finest.
Juggling a beer while opening tabs, loading URLs, you know all the junk stuff.
I notice a couple of quotes and bash out responses frantically competing against the clock counting down to 6pm. It's always a race to complete all my advertising and quotes before the first minute of news. It's an OCD time thing I have - "To be on time"
A 60th wedding anniversary in a hall, location TBA, great. How can I account for milage allowance on this one I'm thinking and push through because there's a car chase on the news that seems to be far more important than my quote.
I push the fact I've done the quote to the back of my mind, lodged into a follow up file only to be opened again a few weeks later. Time, it marches on....
Weeks go by and I've heard nothing back from this particular quote, I've sent my follow up and I've assumed that these people have just not wanted The Chevy Bar. It happens and we do send out more quotes than we get bookings just like any other business. So I've forgotten and time had moved on.
Until, I get the following email:
I just tried calling your number Wayne, just wanted to touch base & see if the date we enquired about, Saturday October 7th is still available..
As stated on the phone on my voice message, very soon after I made that enquiry, my mother, Sandra, was diagnosed with Uterine Serous carcinoma & sadly, it's a terminal diagnosis.. so of course, all 60th anniversary Party plans got put on hold...
Mum had a few rounds of Chemotherapy, but it wasn't for her & now Mum will be starting a 3 week course of Radiation in July & the Radiation Dr has given us 'hope' that mum will be able to 'celebrate' their 60th Wedding Anniversary...
So, I am just contacting you to find out if that date is even still available..
I felt a hot stinging in my eyes and knew we just had to make it to Sandra's 60th. This was going to be that one celebration that we'd make special this year.
Sometimes we're so busy with our lives that while we're busy making our plans for the future, life blind-sides us and we realise how little time we really have.
Over the next few months we were in constant contact with Leigh and Andrew who kept us up to date of Sandra and her husband Gordon's ("Robbo") situation.
It was the last email that really shocked us:
Just 3 short weeks away now (yikes!!) Until Mum & Dads 60th wedding anniversary Party!!
Mum is doing well at the moment, she finished her Palliative Radiation treatment this week & The Oncologists said 'it would be detrimental to have any more Radiation' so that's hard to hear... but they said our party is probably good timing & something positive to focus on.. so we're looking forward to it!
We, cried knowing that Sandra now had to face the oncoming pains that this aggressive cancer brings, and that time is now against us as we're all racing to get this celebration and milestone behind us.
But we had a couple of little treats that would take away the thoughts of pain as we replied:
Hi Leigh & Andrew,
You mentioned that Dad had a Chevy back in the day and was wondering, before we set up, maybe we could take him for a little trip down memory lane by driving around the block,.
Not too long to go now, we're really looking forward to this event and hope Mums health is holding up.
That would be absolutely awesome & Dad would love it!! My nickname for my Dad, Gordon, is Daddy-cool!! ; ) Everyone else calls him "Robbo" cos their Surname is Robertson!! Made me a bit emotional when I read your email cos Dad will get a real kick out of that! Thanks :) Mum (Sandra) is doing 'ok' starts back at Palliative Radiation tomorrow after a 2 week break..
Our date was set, 7th October. A full 10 months in the making, but what a night we had. Laughter, Tears, Hugs and memories all made that little bit more special when during the speeches Elena and I grabbed the microphone and made our heart felt gift known.
No one could accept a payment for tonight given what Sandra and Robbo are going through.
Sandra and Robbo - This isn't a job for us tonight, it's a privilege to be here. So with that in mind, this job is on us. Enjoy The Chevy Bar tonight, we'll not be accepting any payments, sharing your celebration is payment in full today.
We love this family with all our hearts - Wayne & Elena.
UPDATE: Gordon & Sandra wanted T-Shirts to comemorate their 60th, So I got stuck in and designed them a treat. Last Saturday (18th Nov23) I had the priviledge to catch up again with this beautiful couple.
Update: 15/3/2024
Its with sad news tonight that we say Rest In Peace to Sandra, who passed away today at 11:11 this morning after a long battle with cancer.
Sandra and Gordon celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary late last year where we announced that our Bar service was "on the house" given the shortness of days.
We are incredibly blessed to have met and know our friendship with this wonderful family is ongoing. Today please, through your arms around your loved ones. Every day is special.
RIP Sandra Robertson