Two of my three adult children, previously living independently, were home with us for several months. The third was in the Middle East. Being with my kids was a silver lining and we shared more in-person time than I had previously as a working mother, or at least it felt that way. It was a gift. The evening cocktail hour initiated by my son always struck me as remarkable. I walked across the park most mornings to visit my 92-year old father in his apartment. We counted our blessings. A cross-country zoom Passover Seder; who would ever have imagined that? Good health, easy access to the internet/food/entertainment, shared time with family – so many things that were a struggle for others.  

The events of the past two years, as the business continued the endless pivots and rode the waves of change up and down, have been challenging. (If I never hear the word ‘pivot’ again, it wouldn’t be too soon.) The political climate, supply chain upheavals, labor disruption, are matched by new opportunity for us at work; hearty customer demand for our services, the growth of internal smart, creative leaders and a powerful espirit des corps. Optimism is a powerful force.

The reality is that the pandemic has made us feel more vulnerable, more inter-connected and alert.  This is why the look back is so important to me.  There are powerful lessons we have all learned the hard way, let’s keep them alive and use them to grow, be better/do better.  I am working on keeping my list of lessons learned right where I can see them.