How To Make Corporate Business Meetings Fun

The question, Join me for a cuppa joy? is synonymous with collaboration with colleagues.

Colleagues, friends, sisters. Entire families. It's all the same.

It just is. It's always been this for me.

And our meetings? Of course, there's usually coffee or tea. And ideas. Lots and lots of ideas. Some of them earth-shattering, world-changing, genius stuff. Sometimes it's a little more ordinary. The meetings are almost always full of inspiration and laughter. Yeah, sometimes we cry. Because sometimes, life is super hard or disappointing. Or both. So we bear each other's burdens. Right? And we share resources. Sorta like donating vacation days when someone in the company goes through a crisis.

I know a couple of colleagues who, when I visit their corporate office, I feel as though I just stepped into a world-renowned spa. Their easy-going manner, tell-me-all-about-you interest in my life, gourmet lunch (I'm so serious! Every woman ought to be spoiled with women like these in their lives!!), vision and professionalism are profoundly challenging and inspiring.

Because I'm so passionate about this responsibility, this corporate gig known as parenting, I actively seek out and stay open to teammates who are gifted and skilled in areas of expertise in which I need to lean in and learn.

Oh goodness! Now I'm rambling. And I'll keep on rambling if I don't force myself to stop right here. Anyway, we spent the day yesterday collaborating/hanging out with some of our people (who I so completely adore). The conversation was thoughtful and invigorating. The food satisfying, (Israel's homemade coffee cake is melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness!). We shared stories. We laughed. A lot. I mean, a lot. We problem-solved. We dreamed. We discussed ideals. We went for a walk with our daughters to the park and watched them roll down the hill.

Then we joined them.

Annnnd I realized that it's been way-too-many years since I've rolled down a hill...

And, well, that was long overdue.

There are way too many women who are lonely (one is too many in my opinion). Moms who are experts at a gzillion different things. Moms who are gifted, skilled Artisans with life-giving wisdom and knowledge. So, what if we invited one another over more often? What if we collaborated and gave of our resources and cheered for each other and cried together and held hands during chemotherapy and encouraged each other's kiddos? What if we gathered in the boardrooms (aka: the kitchen, dining room, backyard...) to exchange recipes and marriage advice and child training tips and fitness goals? And what if we lingered long to imagine what could be, to pray, to offer a hug when there are no words? 

Do you have friends who you're sharing life with? Friends who love you no matter what? Real life, show-up-on-your-doorstep, here-let-me-get-you-a-cuppa-joy friends?

Will you leave me a note in the comment section and tell me about your friendships? What would encourage your heart most regarding friendships? (Oh, how I wish you were sitting here with me in my living room or at my dining table right now! I'd get you another cuppa and we'd eat chocolate -- or salad... whichever one fit the week -- and we'd figure out together how to run our corporations... and make the world a better place!)