Renee:
We made it through a big milestone birthday and a huge party.
And I’ll be frank, somewhere in the middle of it all, I realized I probably spent almost the same amount on Eden’s Sweet 16 as I did on our wedding nearly 25 years ago.
The difference is, when we got married, we were young and didn’t have much expendable cash, so I planned our wedding on a shoestring budget and still somehow pulled off a lakeside venue, catered food, and only about 25 more people than Eden had at her birthday party.
I still remember arriving that day in a horse and carriage with my dad, sitting beside him, feeling incredibly nervous as we pulled up and the lake fountain came into view.
We had a violinist and a harpist playing "All I Ask of You," and I can still remember talking to my dad in those final moments before stepping out, trying to steady myself. Boy, am I glad I have that memory now, because I sure do miss my dad.
It was a big event. A meaningful one. A day I had poured so much into.
And in its own way, very similar to this past weekend, because by the time everything was over, I felt something I’ve come to recognize pretty clearly: that strange emotional dip that can happen after something meaningful.
Mark:
I think a lot of people know that feeling, even if they don’t always have language for it.
You expect to feel relieved, maybe accomplished, maybe ready to move on.
But sometimes what comes instead is this strange drop.
A little sadness. A little heaviness. Sometimes just a sense that your system is still catching up.
Especially after anything that involved a lot of connection, energy, or emotional presence.
Renee:
What struck me this time is how much it reminded me of what I often feel after the Soulful Leadership Retreat.
Very different kind of event, obviously, but internally it feels similar.
At the retreat, you spend days surrounded by conversation, ideas, emotion, connection, movement, and so much shared energy.
And then suddenly it’s over.
You go from being fully immersed in people to sitting back in your normal environment, often very quietly, and something in you notices the difference immediately.
I think especially for entrepreneurs, this can hit harder than people expect because so many of us spend most of our day-to-day life working from home, often alone, behind screens.
Those in-person moments fill something real.
So when they’re over, it makes sense that there can be a little sadness attached to that, too.
Mark:
And I think that’s where people sometimes misread what they’re feeling.
They assume something must be wrong because they aren’t immediately energized after something good.
But often it’s just the shift itself.
You’ve gone from a high level of stimulation, interaction, and shared presence back to stillness.
That transition can feel bigger than expected.
Renee:
For me, recovery usually starts with not forcing myself to pretend I’m immediately ready to jump back into normal life.
Sometimes I need a little quiet.
Sometimes I need a walk.
Sometimes I just need to recognize, Oh… I think I’m feeling the drop from everything that just happened.
And honestly, naming it helps.
Because once you name it, it stops feeling confusing.
Mark:
I think giving yourself permission to ease back in matters more than people realize.
Not every meaningful experience needs to be followed by immediate productivity.
Sometimes your body and mind need a little space before everything settles again.
And usually clarity comes back faster when you stop fighting that.
Renee:
I’ve learned that the sadness doesn’t mean something is off.
Sometimes it simply means something mattered.
That the experience carried weight.
That the connection was real.
And I think that’s worth recognizing instead of rushing past it.
Mark and Renee:
Because if you’ve ever felt that after a retreat, a gathering, a launch, a celebration, or even just a really full weekend, just remember, we are humans.
And maybe part of honoring meaningful moments is also honoring the quiet that follows them.