The picture is 40+ years old. I don’t recall the reason for the picture but its apparent we were all happy, based on the smiles. My wife Lisa started babysitting Tiffany when she was only eleven and thought her as her own living doll. When I met her, she was maybe 10. Sweet kid. As they grew older it seemed they were more like sisters and almost inseparable. At Tiffany’s first wedding, Lisa cried like a mother, not a cousin. She was Lisa’s first employee in 1989, and together they achieved amazing success, including thriving during the 2002 Winter Olympics. By that summer though, things were out of control. Multiple chances were given and ignored repeatedly, so in the end, Lisa had no choice but to fire her. It was not easy; firing anybody is not without certain complications, but family, especially this situation, was beyond ugly. Tiffany’s father (Lisa’s oldest brother) immediately, and understandably took sides. Even with rock-solid proof of the reasons behind the decision (and the hope it would lead to getting needed help) the brother and his wife spewed the most vile, mean and hateful comments directed specifically and entirely at Lisa. A year later, while staying at her sister’s cabin, Lisa took a fall down the stairs that left her critically injured with two broken arms and a gash in her forehead. She was hospitalized for weeks and required multiple surgeries and months of physical therapy. The love and support our family received was tremendous. Family, friends, co-workers and neighbors pitched in to help through this difficult time, all that is except the brother and his wife. Twenty years have passed since that sad parting of ways and it took it’s emotional toll on both of them. Lisa isn’t one for New Years resolutions, but she made one for 2021—really try to make amends with her niece, and see if rebuilding their relationship is even possible. It was. Granted, they were baby-steps but it got them together to talk. Lisa had even invited her, including husband and daughter, to join us for stone crab on New Year’s Day, which they accepted. Tiffany’s funeral was 11/11/21. She had died of complications of brain & liver aneurysms and a series of mini-strokes. Lisa volunteered to build the floral arrangements which the family gratefully accepted. After a tragedy, there is always a “hope” that maybe things will change. Who knows right? Maybe the death of a daughter, wife and mother (etc. etc.) would soften the hate enough to allow everyone to grieve together and you know what, it did for about 2 hours or until the service ended. The window that had opened wide, allowing all the chance to grieve, was now closing. Slowly but firmly you could sense the return of that invisible wall that divided us before. The estranged family that an hour before was returning your powerful and emotional hugs was now walking purposefully to avoid contact. That portal we were able to transcend time and dodge hate was only a memory. I wish we all could have been together for stone crab in 2022, but at least they had forgiven each other. R.I.P. Tiffany.

My one-year anniversary date with Coldwell Banker is December 1st. I went full-time on March 1, 2021. On November 2, I received accolades stating out of 800 agents in Utah, I was # 8 (office) & # 17 (state) in October 2021. On November 19, I graduated from the rigorous training program that requires an additional 50+ hours of training and the sales of four properties. One-year prior, I was reeling from the results Covid had dealt my livelihood and the realisation I had to reinvent myself or go broke. Between watching my income cut by 2/3’s and feeling adrift and irrelevant, I had decided in May 2020, to improve my odds and at least offer another possible revenue stream by getting my real estate license. Apparently, moving on is a popular choice now days, with millions of workers making that decision. Whether I was ahead of the curve or not, I’m glad I made the most of the lockdown time. Talking to a friend and former work colleague, he tells me my former employer is now “requesting” outside sales associates to put an app on their personal phone so as to allow the “Company” to better document their movement. The outrage by the salesforce is answered with an explanation that it is to better streamline business needs to offer the customer a better experience. Yeah right. Any wonder why people would want to bail on this bullshit and move on. Like I said when I decided to make a career-pivot, If I am going to work that hard, and it will be hard, It will be for myself not some shallow corporation. I turn 67 on January 1, 2022.