I read an article a few years ago that went something like this:
If you woke up this morning with a roof over your head and you were able to walk to the kitchen and make breakfast, then get in your car and drive to work, you’re better off than 95% of the world.
That’s good to keep in mind as we finish up this challenging year. Like most of us, I’m happy to see 2009 in the rear view mirror. But I’m also heartened (and maybe a little surprised) to find myself still standing with my life and business largely intact. Sort of like Vin Scully describing the Dodgers as “bloody but unbowed.”
When our younger daughter was little, she had a life-threatening illness. (She’s fine now.) In our family, we all agree that it was a terrible time, one we hope to never go through again. But in a strange way, it also made us stronger and brought us closer together. This year reminds me of that to a certain extent. I hope we all remember its lessons as we head into the new decade with what I like to call “realistic optimism.” To paraphrase the Hyundai campaign (possibly my favorite TV commercials of all time), “We’re all in this together and we’re getting through this together.”
During this holiday season and beyond, I wish you all health, happiness, success and the love of family and friends. (And a good night’s sleep wouldn’t hurt, either.)