2020... The new norm!

Dear Friends,

If there is one thing that we can ALL agree on is that this year has been different and not at all what we expected!

The circumstances that took place due to the COVID-19 pandemic from the shutdown of the economy, schools, and jobs, forced us all to adapt to a new normal. For some, this new normal has been a complete breeze and for others, it’s created chaos in their everyday lives. But one thing we can all agree on is that we all miss human contact and socializing with one another, hopefully, one day we’ll be able to have parties again : )

As I reflect on how COVID-19 has affected me personally, I realize that every situation, regardless of how bad it is, always has a positive. Yes, it was hard planning a funeral in the middle of a pandemic, after my little brother passed away earlier this year. Grieving his loss with so much uncertainty, fear, and darkness around us, has also been challenging; but I’m also reminded of the good this pandemic has given us. It’s given us time to stop and reflect, it’s given us time with our loved ones, and it’s forced us to slow down in a world that is so fast-paced.

Earlier this summer, my family and I spent 3 weeks quarantined together due to my son testing positive with coronavirus. What started as an exciting extended stay-cation quickly turned into what felt like house arrest. I may be exaggerating a bit, but things were definitely challenging after the first couple of days. I remember on one particular morning, as I was sitting at my home office trying to get some work done; I had a client on the phone when my 2-year-old and 5-year-old came running in both crying at the top of their lungs! They were fighting over a toy and causing chaos in the house, while at the same time, my wife was trying to focus on an important conference call for her work. At that moment we realized that we would need to work together in order to survive the next couple of weeks quarantined with the kids. We immediately made a pact to better help each other by trying to create a schedule that allowed both of us to work while one took care of the kids. It was not pretty and I had a tendency to slip-up on my duties as my work can be sporadic with issues and action items changing, but somehow we survived that short “stint” at home!

There is so much that I am sure you are all going through but my hope is that you and your family are all managing to find your way. We are officially in the last quarter of 2020 so let's keep pushing and get past all of this. As always, I am here to help you in any way possible. Your support, trust, and friendship means so much to me and I am thankful for our relationship. Call or text me anytime!

Sincerely,

Ricardo Gonzalez