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Are We There Yet? vol. 40 Thumbnail

Are We There Yet? vol. 40

The holidays are a season of giving, sharing and reflection.  This year, due to Covid, a brutal election season, the controversy over election results, calls for social justice, and the suffering with which so many are dealing, I find that reflection is consuming more of my time.  Just this morning, I was exchanging holiday wishes with one of my clients and I reflected on our first meeting.  It was March 2000, and she was living in Asia but was in Washington for meetings.  She had been referred to me by a friend and because of her hectic schedule, we met in the lobby of the Omni Shoreham hotel near the zoo on the edge of Rock Creek Park.  The topic was taxes, but it quickly turned to investments, economies, and life in general.  It was a nice discussion and we found that we shared common values.  

Twenty years later, I think we still share those values.  When I look back over those twenty years, the changes for me personally were enormous, both good and bad.  In early 2000, I was not married and did not have children.  Now I have a wonderful marriage and three children who are on their way to becoming thoughtful and charitable adults.  I also had a not so joyous period, when over 18 months in 2013, I lost both my parents and a nephew.  All these events, good and bad, personal and professional, shape who I am and how I interact with others.

I am immensely grateful for that meeting in the lobby of the Omni Shoreham twenty years ago.  One of the best parts of my work is how I learn and grow from all of my interactions with colleagues and clients.  I think that every relationship I have has a similar theme of discussion, exploration, vulnerability and sharing and I am grateful for all of them.    

This week’s selection is:

VIDEO:

It’s a Wonderful Life

An old classic starring Jimmy Stewart about George Bailey, a banker during the depression who wishes he had never been born.   An angel comes down from heaven and grants George his wish.  George only then begins to realize how he has impacted and changed the lives of many people and how different their lives would be had he not been there.