Little Did We Know . . .

"Team, In light of the new guidelines put out by San Diego county today, we have decided that beginning tomorrow, March 16, we will all work from home until further notice. We think it’s best to be prudent about the potential spread of this virus, and there is no good reason why we can’t all be productive from our homes. Please take care of yourselves and hopefully we will be back together very soon!"

A colleague pulled this email out of his archives yesterday, reflecting that it has been one year since this was sent out to our team. Little did we know that "two weeks to flatten the curve" would turn into a year of being apart. So much has been learned in the year since this email was sent. Yes the year has been fraught with uncertainty, fear and for some, tragedy. There have also been unexpected blessings along the way. When I think of the year that has passed, a few words come to mind: laughter, family, friendship, resilience, and yes, cocktails! I am hopeful that in the coming year and beyond, the appreciation we have gained for the simpler things in life, the relationships that have been strengthened, and the sheer determination to persevere that we have witnessed, will stay with us.

For fun I looked back on my camera on 3/16/20 to see what photos I took, if any. This is a statue in our little beach town of Encinitas that the locals lovingly call "The Kook". People like to dress him up for various occasions, most are pretty hilarious. He's become somewhat of a celebrity around these parts. On March 16, 2020, this was what he was wearing, and his is the only photo on my phone that day. I recall that I drove down the beach after we decided to close the office, and for some reason I felt compelled to stop and take his picture. Here's to better days ahead!