January, 2022 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

I am in Hawaii as I type this, and no surprise, our members here have asked that we defer our in-person Amazing Care Network meeting until later this year when the Omicron virus is no longer such a public health threat.  I’ve received similar feedback from networks in Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego.  For this reason, we will defer our in-person meetings until summer or fall, depending on this current surge.  In the meantime, in the spirit of continuous learning about how to age well, I’m lining up individuals I will interview, and these interviews will be posted on our website.  We’ll keep you posted on who will be interviewed and when the interviews will available.

I’m now resigned to the idea that this pandemic is not going away, it will become endemic, and that I simply need to learn to live with it and so I will.   I think each of us has to make peace with this idea, each in our own way.

How have I made peace with this?  For one thing, I’m reconciled to the idea that my colleagues will be working remotely for the foreseeable future, and in-person meetings for work will have to be carefully orchestrated to ensure safety.  If all works well, I will be meeting with my colleagues in March, the first time we will be together in person since 2019.  Happily, we’ve figured how to adapt to this brave new world of virtual meetings and virtual chats.  While the experience is not the same as an in-person meeting, it beats not connecting at all.

And that brings me to the most critical lesson I’ve re-learned from Covid.  Connecting with others is key to my mental and emotional health, and I will invest personal time and energy to ensure my connections with family, friends and colleagues are as strong as ever.  I have a heavy travel schedule in the next two months, and so I will connect in person with co-workers and business partners.  I am mindful that not everyone feels safe to connect in person, so I visit virtually or via phone calls with those individuals.  I’ve gotten much better at sending texts, too.  You get the picture – connecting with friends and family and colleagues don’t have to wither as a result of this pandemic.  I just have to be more creative!

Here’s wishing you a happy new year—may it bring you joy and enough challenges to make Life interesting!

Cora