There’s something truly tender about celebrating our Sweet 16. Maybe every year feels like this, but life moves quickly, and the sweetness becomes part of the background—woven into the routine.

But this year, I want to pause. To take a breath and really take it in: the passage of time, the relationships we’ve built, the evolution of this business.

Last year, most of the year, our parking lot was a construction zone. Total disruption. They were building a drive-thru coffee shop right in our complex. None of us—our Storm Wisdom team, fellow tenants, or neighbors—really understood why. It’s a busy intersection with a small parking lot to begin with.

The coffee shop finally opened in November 2024. And it closed two weeks ago.

Someone had a dream. They invested their time, energy, and money into bringing it to life. And it only lasted six months.

I don’t know who they were. But I feel for them. As much as I didn’t think it was a great location… some might have said the same about a crystal shop back in 2009.

Who can say why some things take off and others don’t? This weekend, that question lingered for me as we celebrated. I just kept feeling grateful. I know Gisela and Millie did too.

So many dear clients and friends stopped by to share their love. My sisters visited from Maine—as they always do this time of year—reuniting with faces they now see only annually. A family, in a shared space, over time.

In many ways, the journey that began in 2009 feels distant and unfamiliar. Storm Wisdom has grown into something beyond us. Its own energy. Its own essence. Isn’t that how it’s meant to be?

Think about your home, your relationships, your kids or pets, your business or career. They shift, evolve, become what they’re meant to be. They take on a life of their own. Some, like the coffee shop, never quite get the running start they need to thrive.

And still—they matter. They’re worth honoring. Every effort, every dream, every chapter contributes something. Teaches something. Leaves an imprint.

So I hope you’re celebrating your own milestones—big or small. That’s what we’re doing this weekend. And it feels… sweet.