Mourning what once was

When searching for a cup for my tea, I found this one. The cup was a Christmas gift from my friend Sunna, the first Christmas after we started our specialty retail store “Pottar & prik” in September 2006. I still remember how hopeful we were, and optimistic about the future of our company. And everything sure looked bright to begin with. People liked our little shop but the biggest problem was it’s location, so in 2008 we moved into the town’s shopping mall and for a few months we were happy in our new location. 

But then the economy crisis hit Iceland very hard, and the 15th of January 2014 we announced that we would be closing our store. It was a very difficult decision to make, and the days that followed were tough. It was hard saying goodbye to our loyal customers, our employees and our partnership. 

But even if we closed the shop in the end of January, I still had bookkeeping to do, and we had to tie some loose ends, so it was only in the end of February that I was officially out of work. 

Then early in March my mother fell and broke her hip, and I devoted the next 5-6 months to her, travelling back and forth between Keflavík where she lives, and Akureyri where I live. 

I think I didn't have the time to mourn the loss of our company, until late this autumn, and especially in November/December when I wasn't at my usual place at Pottar & prik (being extremely busy selling Christmas presents).

I felt sad and a little misplaced somehow, as I missed the interaction with our customers, and working with my partner Sunna. But I'm very grateful for the good times we had, and I it's important to remember the happy moments, even though the times were sometimes tough.