In January, our team went hiking on Tantalus for our annual goal-setting retreat. Carefree, breathing deeply, and holding hands with little Orion as he led us up the mountain, we had no idea how Covid-19 would shift our world in less than two months.
At the breezy lookout, David gave what we joked sounded like a little sermon on the mount, recounting the incredible work we accomplished last year despite difficult transitions, losses, and changes. Hard-working Michelle and Myrna stepped in when Karen and Taea's maternity leave overlapped; we also welcomed Grant into the fold while celebrating Joyce's retirement after 35 years in our family business. We had much to be grateful for, but also much to mourn: the passing of Myrna's life-partner Lionel, the suicide of our friend with bipolar disorder, and the loss of beloved pets. We definitely know what grief feels like as we guide our clients through terminal illness diagnoses, long term care and estate planning considerations, and the loss of anything resembling normalcy.
While many of us struggle with ailments or conditions that are simply out of our control, including a worldwide pandemic, this summer we want to stop worrying about what the future may hold and instead focus on what is controllable: what we put in our bodies, how often we move them, and why developing a meditation practice might help strengthen our minds and lower anxiety levels. We've tried to make exercise fun through a daily 30-minute cardio challenge, discovering the pleasure of walks through our neighborhoods (David & Myrna), gardening (Verne), surfing (Marie & Grant), jogging (Megan), Pilates & yoga (Karen), and even the joy of methodical cleaning (Taea).
Life can be exhausting with so many things to juggle right now, so we hope you are all finding safe and healthy ways of replenishment. In discovering new passions, we might even reevaluate and refine the reasons why we endeavor to save and invest our money in the first place. And since laughter is often the best medicine, we end with some wise and humorous advice from The Princess Bride.
Prince Humperdinck: "Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work. But I’ve got my country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I’m swamped!"
Count Rugen: "Get some rest. If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything!"