It wasn’t supposed to start this way. We just finished the many spiteful eulogies of 2020, wishing away a challenging and difficult year and looking ahead to better days. But here we are a week into 2021 and my family is more quarantined, more isolated and on some days, more frustrated than ever before. With pandemic cases on the rise in many areas, and vaccines slow to roll out, we need to continue making lemon verbena out of lemons, so to speak. While we’re homebound right now, I thought I’d share some unique ideas of how the M&L team is embracing some principles we hold important to us.
Wellness
A lesson we told our son from an early age is that the ‘secret of life’ is getting to bed early and rising early. There have been many articles on this subject, and they all start with a celebrity reel of people who embrace some pretty early mornings (hey, if Oprah does it, it must be good!). The last year has made it tougher for some of us to stick to routine, and for a few of us in the New Year we’re going to try and be up and running (albeit slowly at first) before dawn.
From an activities point of view, being inside as the weather is cold is also challenging, but not as daunting as it needs to be. Find a corner with a yoga mat, or like our friend Gaby Israel who decided to turn his workouts into a YouTube channel, get a little more elaborate and build a library of routines or, get out there and have a little fun. As you can see from the photo banner in this article, my daughter and I recently did a family self-portrait using snow as an art medium to kick off the new year!
Discovery
What can you ‘discover’ within the four walls of your house? The answers are all around you, with the people you live with, and inside yourself. Our 9-year old is a cat-lover, and has over the past year immersed herself in the world of Warrior Cats, an elaborate anthology of books about various feline clans who fight for survival and conquer their foes. She talks about it from morning to night. Discovery for my husband was in picking up the first 275-page tome and working his way through it. It may not be Shakespeare, but he’s found himself immersed in a fantasy world of twists and turns. Most importantly, he’s discovered a new way to connect with our daughter.
Empowerment
Maple & Lather is founded on many things, not the least of which is empowerment. We believe in curiosity, entrepreneurship and perseverance. We push each other as teammates and colleagues to reach new heights, personally and professionally. Empowerment is just as much about empowering others as it ourselves. This year, there are many people in our communities who could use a hand up. We’re using community service and charity as a means for empowerment to start the new year.
Lather Up, Everyone!
2021, like every year, is about looking ahead to opportunity, and there is no reason we can’t do this with earnest optimism. In fact, as things open up, our horizons for the year will expand, and we’ll all be better for what we’ve been through.
Steph & the M&L Team –