Circumventing Crisis

Thanksgiving and this time of year have taken on a greater appreciation as we reflect on the past two years of living under the pandemic rule. Many of us have been denied the opportunity to gather with the people we love in order to be protected. Now, although the virus is still a reality, many of us have had enough of the separation. We have created enough strategies for safety that we feel outweigh the risk of coming together. This reality has created the realization that although the food is good, and the gifts are pretty awesome too, the greatest value is the people that we love.

We cherish the people that we choose to have in our lives.

There are family members in our lives that have been instrumental in our development and foundation. There are the family members that will always show up when called irrespective of the fact that it has been years since we last spoke. The bloodline may have brought you together, but the relationship has been established and reinforced to withstand the test of time or distance.

We cherish people who have no blood relationship whatsoever.

The friends who stick closer than a brother/sister are valued more than words. It didn’t take DNA or marriage to create the relationship but the “ride or die” framily has been created. This time has reminded us of the value of having those people in our lives. 

So, this year we hugged a bit longer and laughed a little louder, to make up for the lost time when we were not able to come together.

In these past two years, we have had a great deal of sickness and death. We have lost far too many people from toddlers to seniors. I have had the unfortunate experience of knowing too many young adults who have passed away during this time. The transition of life always leaves grief in its path, but the unpreparedness of the tragedy compounds the crisis.

As we continue to navigate the COVID realities, we are still uncovering the impact of the long-term effects of the virus. The country is about to enter its fourth calendar year of the coronavirus outbreak. Researchers think most Americans have had COVID-19 at this point. Millions of Americans are experiencing what is being called “long COVID”, also known as long-haul COVID, post-COVID or post-acute COVID syndrome. While definitions vary, long COVID is, at its core, a chronic illness with symptoms that persist for months or years after a COVID infection.

According to CNBC, long COVID demonstrates that the virus is taking a lingering, pervasive, and perhaps even more insidious toll. Medical experts have called it “the next public health disaster in the making”.

While COVID is a real threat to our normalcy. We face tragedies in our lives regularly. The lack of preparation is what enhances the crisis. The reason we have a spare tire is to prevent the tragedy from becoming a crisis. The reason we have health and life insurance is to prevent the tragedy from becoming the crisis. The reason we have the emergency savings account is to prevent tragedy from becoming crisis. The reason we have a comprehensive estate plan is to mitigate the tragedies we are promised to encounter from becoming a crisis that could be avoided.

The Life and Legacy Counselors of the Griffin Firm would be glad to walk with you to planning for the complexities of life. Allow us to serve you to build the legacy that will empower and strengthen your family. We know that strong families build strong communities.