One of the staff members at my restaurant had a baby 2 months ago, and this was her first week back at work. She let me know that one of her biggest concerns was how she was going to have time to pump breast milk during service.

I told her we’d of course make time for her, but I honestly wasn’t sure where she could pump or nurse that would be convenient.

Enter the mushroom tent.

I bought a giant mushroom growing tent in 2020 when we were trying to grow Lion’s Mane mushrooms to sell at our restaurant’s indoor market.  It’s been sitting empty in the basement for 2 years.  So I spent some time fixing it up into a family nursing station.  It was an oddly satisfying thing to watch the tent completely shift purposes.

Reader, I learned a valuable lesson this week: allowing our belongings to serve a new purpose is bold and practical and magical all at once.  The same goes for ourselves. I think sometimes we initially resist letting our own purpose change, just because change itself is so uncomfortable and we like to hold firm to what previously made us feel worthwhile. But bringing new life and meaning is just so thrilling, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can repurpose in my world.

 Wishing you a week of thinking outside the box and enjoying how things change. See you next Monday. -Em