Hello Friends and Colleagues,

A few years ago my wife and I hiked the arduous Sliding Sands Trail. We knew it would be a long hike with lots of elevation and weather changes. As advertised, it was spectacular. Still, towards the end we were exhausted, low on water and food, wet (yep, it rained), cold, enveloped in darkness (forgot our flashlights, our smartphone substitutes were rapidly draining), trudging up what seemed like hundreds of rain-soaked switchbacks... all we could do was down-shift to a steady pace and try not to stumble.

We made it to our car, mildly hypothermic, but we made it. It required patience, determination and trust in each other. At that moment I had a profound appreciation for my wife and soul mate. She stood by me. We made it. Together. That is how I’ve been feeling lately, as I try to make sense of the pandemic. One step at a time, my friends. We can do this.