Musings on a Pandemic

*Winner announced at the bottom of this post below

It would be impossible to think of a way that one month could be so different for so many people around the world as the beginning of April seems from the beginning of March.

Shawn and I have been fortunate to have plenty of work to keep us busy on our current house building project. We have been doing finishing work - flooring, spiral staircase building, kitchen cabinet assembly, etc. The spring has brought us a bout or two of nice weather with sunshine allowing for garden work, which does wonders for the mental landscape when the world is literally shutting down around you!  Anyway, this brings me to my topic for this month's blog, which is the great virtue of planning when confronted by really dismal events.

Perseverance.

I can't speak for how I'd feel if I were directly experiencing a loved one dying from CoVid-19, but I can speak from the place that most of us find ourselves, that is to say, affected by the quarantines most in terms of staying home, staying away from people, and seeing ones certainties in life tested in a variety of ways, from income lost to waking up in the middle of the night wondering what in the world happened. We keep working a bit each day on the house, and while it's stretching it even for me to liken a house build to a pandemic, it is true that sometimes when building a house it feels as though the process will never end. While a lot of home building is fun, and it's always a privilege, it's not all roses. With perseverance, the job gets done, and when the times are least fun, it's often turning one's mind to just chipping away at a beast that gets things done in the end and finally drops you off in front of a completed project and a great sense of pride and relief. 

Optimism.

It’s lucky in terms of work to be working with clients and subscribers who take the time to either request drafting services, buy a plan, or just email and share upcoming plans. When you've had a day with too much news in it, this is just what the doctor requires to elevate the mood. So thank you to all of you, for supporting our business, for sharing your ideas and reminding us that all around the world, people are adapting to change, dealing with minor and major annoyances and sometimes very real danger and getting on with things, and planning for the happier days when this is more under control and not such a volatile situation. 

Whether this pandemic has put your plans on hold, turned your life upside down, or merely been a minor nuisance in terms of logistics, it's good to remember that this is a phase that will pass over time, with a lot of hard work and effort from everyone involved - whether you are planting your garden and telecommuting, or you're dealing with emergency room pandemonium on the medical front lines. Certainly it's a chance to gain perspective. 

If you are healthy today, take a deep breath (savor it, too!) and don't forget to keep planning on the future. 

How to Enter the Giveaway

This month we’re offering one lucky winner a house plan of their choice - free. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling us what thoughts or plans keep you going during this crazy time! If you buy a stock plan in April and win the giveaway you will be entitled to a second plan or a refund. Winner will be announced in May’s email newsletter.

Winner*

Congratulations to Pam Lyman, our April winner. Please contact us to get your free download code.

Thanks everyone for commenting and for following, we will have more giveaways in 2020 so stay healthy!