Paul:

I went through a wide range of emotions, much like the stages of Loss and Grief:



Denial and Isolation - I've been through plenty of denial and isolation; telling myself that we could make the business continue to work even as it was becoming clear that things were not heading in the right direction, trying to convince myself that we wouldn't have to shut down since I had put so much time and effort into trying to keep it going. Being a small business owner can certainly be very isolating, particularly as a highly introverted individual. Other than Abby, I didn't really have anyone to talk with about the business who could relate on the same level.



Anger - Feelings of anger flared up as the business began to fail despite my best efforts.



Bargaining - Over the past few months I've been struggling to determine if this was the right move, mostly through conversations with Abby and close friends, and constantly second-guessing myself along the way.



Depression - Once the decision was made, the finality of it left me feeling depressed as I mourned the loss of something that was such a big part of my life, something that we had created ourselves from scratch.



Acceptance - I think that I've mostly reached this point, though I'm still floating between all these stages at various times, with depression continuing to linger in the background.



To summarize, I'm mourning the loss/failure of the business, but I'm feeling relieved, as well, to start a new chapter in our lives. Hope is blooming with the knowledge that I'll be able to refocus on playing more games, spend more time with my family, seek a change in my career, and after some time to take a break, open myself to new opportunities and adventures.



And I try to live my life without regret. I've met so many wonderful people over the years and it is such a great hobby. I've personally grown so much through these experiences; I wouldn't be the person I am today if I were to go back and change anything.

Abby: I am sad that we were never able to have an actual cafe since that was always my goal. But the number of amazing people we have met over the past 10 years is incredible! Most of our best friends are both gamers and customers, and we wouldn't have it any other way!