Firm Management
This is Now
Perhaps our lessons to learn relate to the fragility of life, of every molecule around us, the danger in things we cannot see, the precious moments with those we love, and a new, deeper understanding of what is important, what is essential, in our lives.
Apr. 16, 2020
In my neighborhood, the streets are wide and curvy, they circle around and meet each other at multiple intersections, interspersed with cul-de-sacs. Every house has a driveway, and the yards are large and, now that spring is upon us, green. Daffodils and crocuses are blooming, buds are starting to appear on trees and bushes, and even dandelions are all over the lawns.
The warmer temperatures and sunny days make it easy to get out of the house and take a walk. The statewide lockdown and school closure mean the houses are full, families are together, adults are working from home when their jobs allow it, students are learning at home, teachers are teaching from home, and no pet is left alone.
And as we all share a common fear of this unknown illness charging across our nation, there are moments to cherish because we are doing this together. All day long there is a constant parade of neighbors, walking the sidewalks of my neighborhood, waving friendly greetings from a safe distance, breathing deeply of the fresh spring air, offering to share excess supplies, wishing each other well.
Meanwhile, there is a longing for normalcy. On the tax accountant side of my life, I’m diligently processing returns, focusing on those clients who will get refunds, grateful for the extended filing date which takes the pressure off of working long nights. Would I return to my normal tax season chaos if I could? In a heartbeat.
There remain the larger, unanswered, philosophical questions, the questions that will haunt us for the rest of time. Did we do this to ourselves? Can we truly recover from this? Will the next one be more devastating? Is this what the end looks like? What have we learned? What will we never learn?
Perhaps our lessons to learn relate to the fragility of life, of every molecule around us, the danger in things we cannot see, the precious moments with those we love, and a new, deeper understanding of what is important, what is essential, in our lives. Will we help our clients restructure their processes and reassess their mission to develop a more meaningful purpose? Will we see the world more clearly through the eyes of others? Do we dare hope for a silver lining to this pandemic?
For now, we wait, and we walk, and we notice that Mother Nature continues to nurture us, to show us the sunshine and the flowers when everything else seems bleak.