As our exceptionally long spring melted into summer, we slowly began easing back toward life as usual while yet embracing a “new normal.” With any difficulty in life, the most productive question usually is, “What can we learn?” Trials present the opportunity to look for a silver lining and evaluate how our lives can be changed for the better. How do we want to be different moving forward after the COVID-19 pandemic is over? This crisis has caused incredibly painful hardships in the world and in our own beloved community. As we strive to be good neighbors to support those affected the most, we also look inward to see how we have changed. In essence, have we learned from this teachable moment?

One definition of a teachable moment is “an unplanned opportunity that arises in the classroom where a teacher has a chance to offer insight to his or her students. A teachable moment is not something that you can plan for; rather, it is a fleeting opportunity that must be sensed and seized.”

COVID-19 brought our frantic, frenzied schedules to a grinding halt. It humbled our fast-paced society and exposed the illusion of control as the ethereal myth that it is. As stressful as this pandemic has most certainly been with fears of both physical and financial safety, has it at the same time loosened some of the shackles in our lives? For those of us fortunate to stay healthy, we have had time to be with family, complete DIY projects in the house, tend the garden, pursue a new skill. We have had time to be still. To slow down. To press pause. 

In this issue, several nonprofits and local businesses have chosen to share with you the ways they have adapted and continued to serve the community during these strange days. Turn to page 16 to read these local profiles in facing COVID-19.

While we usually feature our wealth management section in the September issue, this year we are putting this particularly timely and valuable resource into your hands right now. Turn to page 96 for our article reflecting on past economic downturns, followed by profiles of some of our community’s most respected financial advisors.

As you hold this July issue in your hands, you are standing in a world that the coronavirus has changed in ways we never imagined. We hope that you are able to find a quiet moment to step back from the whirlwind around you and enjoy the stories in the following pages.

Sincerely,

Margaret Clay