This year has been a strange one on many levels, not least of which is the pandemic. We are now rolling into the holiday season with dire health warnings being issued – and, in some places, even threats of police breaking up traditional family gatherings. As if the pandemic were not enough, we’ve had a wild election, protests, riots and celebrations. Polarization or whatever you want to call it appears to be quite sharp. About half the country seems to be declaring that things are really bad. The other half also seems to think things are really bad, albeit for opposite reasons. It’s all a bit crazy and unsettling. Social media and 24-hour news channels compound the insanity. It’s way too easy to get sucked into only seeing and hearing what confirms the views you already hold. It’s easy to despair.
The other day we got a message from one of our veteran clients. It was a simple expression of gratitude for our efforts. What happened to him was bad. No one would fault him for being bitter. The money we got for him won’t fix his permanent injury. Seeing this cheered my soul and it was a good lesson in gratitude.
In our business we deal with families that have had tragedies. At times it is very hard. What is reassuring, however, is that most of these people, like the client above, are appreciative of our efforts. Again, this is a lesson in gratitude
At our law firm, we are lucky to be able to do what we do. We are fortunate that the pandemic has not had a huge impact on us or our families. Gratitude keeps us from taking that for granted. Not everyone has been so fortunate – and we need to remember that.
The pandemic has wreaked havoc, but even there we have good news. The fact that we are on the verge of having a vaccine – actually several vaccines - is nothing short of astounding. The development of vaccines usually takes years. This has been done in months. If nothing else, this is a huge testament to the genius of our science and technology. We should all be grateful.
The future has much uncertainty, but there is also much hope. At the end of the day, perhaps it is that hope for which we should all be most thankful. Happy thanksgiving.