Small business and Community

Brentwood has a lot of small business owners.  Everywhere has a lot of small business owners but we are a little farther from San Francisco and San Jose skew our economy somewhat.  It is so sad to see so many of them shut down or working minimally.  Restaurants are being creative, people are putting services online that they can, but they are still effected and many will be for months to come. It is so sad to see.  My heart aches or the anxiety it causes.  Danny and I felt a twinge of that.  A very, small twinge compared to others, but it just makes me sick to think of the people who are up at night stressed or scared.

A stimulus package came out that I hope helps and gives relief.  I think in time, our economy will recover and in the long term it will be ok but sometimes that doesn't give immediate relief to moms and dads who are just trying to make ends meet.

The coolest thing of it all is being aware and helping others in need.  Seeing people organize groups to help the seniors shop, helping support small business when possible, patronizing by ordering online.  It is really cool to see a community come together as far as small business goes.  Our family are small business owners so I feel like we have been more mindful of that but it has helped us tremendously to be even more so.  If I can get art supplies at the local shop instead of amazon, I will try to do that because that is helping our community members, that is helping put food on someones table.

I was talking to someone about living the law of consecration.  I see people who are employed that are going out of their way to support others at this time who aren't.  If we all truly lived that way it would be a pretty incredible world.  I can do better at that. 

Covid 19 and social media

The pandemic of the Coronavirus.  I should have journaled better.  I am certain this will be placed in history books and the findings and results studied by all for how to deal with something similar in the future.

Two weeks ago, life was pretty normal in the United States.  We knew there was a virus in China, we saw reports, it was becoming global.  We had an open house on Saturday to find tenants for our home, we signed the lease with the couple we chose on Sunday and Sunday night Governor Newsom announced everything would be shut down for 2 weeks except for essentials.

Later that night, a letter was sent out to dentists stating they recommended shut down their offices for 2 weeks to preserve masks and help slow the spread for all non-urgent needs.  Everyone interpreted that differently.  Danny felt like he needed to shut down for 2 weeks because that is really what they were asked to do.  Other dentists didn't shut down which we totally get.  He felt bad that he shut down and most didn't and questioned if he made the right call but ultimately knew it was the responsible thing to do.  Within a day or two patients were cancelling and almost all dentists weren't seeing patients except emergencies.

So we had two weeks at home.  It was nice having Danny home.  We rarely have time together.  It has been blah weather so that has been hard but we have managed to do a lot of bike rides and walks around the golf course.  The schools give out lunches to the community so we ride 3 miles to get lunch and would hang out in the park to eat our lunch.  We would go to our little corner away from people.  The boys would all have wheelie contests.  Other families would go to their little corner and so forth.  Well, eventually parks got closed.  I started to run for 30 minutes each morning.  The streets are pretty bare.  The parks eventually got closed down. The tennis courts got closed down.  Being outside, going on bike rides, walks, etc all are encouraged as long as you keep your social distance but the majority of people don't go out.

EXCEPT to the stores!  This is the craziest thing of all. The stores, whether it is safeway, costco, home goods, ace, home depot are PACKED!  Packed with people until the afternoon when nobody is there.  Every day for about 2 weeks when we went by Safeway it was packed.  That is when I realized this whole quarantine is a joke.  They shut down open space because they are crowded, they shut down parks where the majority of people really are social distancing but you keep just a couple stores open where the masses congregate.  So lets say 5 asymptomatic people go the enclosed store everyday. Those people pass it on and it keeps going and going and going.

Trump says he wants the economy to be able to recover and people to go back to work in a couple of weeks.  The next day Newsom says he think he will extend the shelter in place til mid june.  Coincidence, maybe.  Heidi's thoughts, this has become way too much of a political fight.  A political divide and that is probably the last thing our society needs yet more and more what politics are becoming and I think a lot of it is that everyone has instant access to what people say, how people react, etc.  I am not saying I agree or disagree with either of them because I have no idea what the best form of action is, but I think Newsom's decision was altered by Trump.  I am sure people will disagree, but that is my black/white brain.

Not saying it is wrong how we are doing things because technically I guess that will slow the spread in some ways, but it will just prolong for a VERY long time in my opinion.  I have my theories and opinions just like the rest of the world.  I don't think our society can just shut down the economy for months but do feel like we should try our best to wash hands and social distance if we can.  I feel like statistics are so skewed based on what you want to prove.

You read an article about how much California is slowing the spread and you see the number of cases being diagnosed going down.  But guess what, California isn't testing people.  We receive letters from our hospitals telling us unless you are classified by a doctor to be a high risk group and the doctor then orders a test, you will not be tested if you have symptoms. I get it.  It is a virus and most people just like the flu have to just wait it out.  Sadly, just like the flu a lot of people die from it.  The flu kills 60,000 people a year.  Last year, a teenager died from the flu at our local high school.  It was devastating but definitely didn't receive the worldwide news that a teenager dying from the coronavirus received.

And that is what I can't stand about the media.  It seems be more and more one sided.  People are drawn to articles that represent their thoughts and dismiss or don't read articles about the other side. It isn't like 40 years ago when it was hard to get access to a million news articles.  It is all done by the click of switch. You don't like one headline, you go to the next.  Eventually, your computer does the sorting for you. And then you start posting the ones you like on social media and the friends who agree with you like, love, share and praise. I see the coalitions form amongst friends based on their viewpoints.  I had to stop going on social media because I just couldn't handle it.  It didn't make me feel good.  I read articles from both sides because I feel like that allows me to come to the most unbiased conclusions and see the facts of the disease and how countries are handling it.  I personally think that huge percentages of people have been exposed to this virus.  Part of me thinks it will affect everyone at one point or another until a vaccine is found.

We had the opportunity to pray and fast for our politicial leaders to be guided and for all those suffering; physically, emotionally and financially.  I read a statistic, that of course if probably wrong due to above points, that for every person diagnosed 100 jobs have been lost.  That is devastating.  People dying is devastating, doctors not having means to help everyone is devastating. I don't think we know enough to know what the right path is to attack this virus and what will help the most people in every aspect of their life, but the Lord does.  And so I leave it with that.  I pray that the Lord inspires and leaders are humble enough to hear. 





It is an ever changing world we live in.  I think a huge part of the wheels of our society is based around social media.

Woodlands

Originally, we were looking for homes closer to Northgate.  It is the same middle and high school as Woodlands the a little bigger homes.  We put an offer on Comanche that was already in contract.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized how convenient it would be with working and living in the same neighborhood.  Convenient for the kids to ride back and forth to our home and pool, convenient for me to bike or run to the pool, amazing to be in my sisters neighborhood with a smaller elementary school which might be really nice for my kids. 

We looked at some homes which Danny hated.  I get it because I looked at a couple homes in Northgate, some really nice, that I just didn't like.  I left one that was so nice but I hated it. I felt a horrible feeling.  I knew it just wasn't right.   I am so grateful for prayer.  I prayed to be guided and knew we were being guided.  What was most important?  A home where my family would be happy and surrounded by great relationships to help them become the best people they could become.  I consider Danny and myself to be simple people that are pretty minimalistic.  Neither of us had a list of what our home needed to look like or include.  We wanted one with enough space but not too much.  A more open floor plan would be awesome.  A home that could be filled with friends.  We walked through this one and loved it.  The yard!  The location! It was remodeled and expanded. Most homes in the Woodlands would be a little too small for a family of 6 but this one was perfect.  We both just felt good about it.  I am sure the market will correct soon.  It can't keep going like it is going but we felt like if we found a home we liked, we should go for it. 

Buying a home in this area is so different.  A lot of realtors place homes for sale 50-100,000 lower than they actually expect to get.  It allows people in that price range to make an offer and people in the actual price range to bid it up.  We knew before even putting in an offer that they were going to counter everyone who submitted an offer. We offered a little over, but realized it was stupid to go way over because that will just inflate the price.  Not everyone had that logic and of course people went way over, which I still don't get.  So we put in a price we thought it would actually sell for and the family supposedly liked us so chose us compared to another offer.  People put in offers with no contingencies.  We had a couple but really shortened them. Anyway, we feel great about it. It really will be the perfect home for us.  Great location, great home, close to my sister and my work, great neighborhood, great yard.  So sad to leave our current neighborhood and home which we love but feel like it is the right thing and right timing.  We have always let the Spirit guide our decisions and know that this is where we are supposed to be. We have no idea all the whys and reasons but are at peace that it will all work out.

My Mini Me

I wish my parents were still alive.  If they were alive, I am certain they would be able to relate to parenting Parker.  Relate to how tiring it is to raise him, how he is always on the go, relate to his outbursts of emotion and also relate to the incredible things he can do.  They joked that they stopped because of me. In reality, I am sure that if miscarriages and horrible pregnancies weren't their reality they would have had more kids. Being my parent was difficult.  There was a reason I went from school, to gymnastics, to the pool, to soccer.  There was a reason I was suspended in elementary school.  There was a reason I didn't have many friends as a kid.  I never remember being tired.  In contrast, activities game me energy.  Being with people gave me energy.  In some ways, I am the same today.  I could always go.  I was impulsive and reactionary.  I was a difficult kid.  I was Parker.  As I listen to podcasts and do research on ADHD, I feel I have learned so much about me and Parker.  It is hard to be the parent to these kids.  We are doing our best, jumping countless hours on a trampoline, riding bikes, going on hikes and yet our kids keep going.  Their little brains jump from one thing to the next.  In time, these skills will be bridled and great tools in life.  In time, he will learn how to deal with these giant emotions.  I am grateful for him and what he teaches me.  I am grateful we live in sunny California where he can best thrive.  I am grateful for very patient friends who help and support me and him.  He has a hard time sitting in our little co-op and 2 weeks ago, an amazing friend gave him some dirt to find the hidden worms.  He loved it.  He succeeded.  Last week another amazing friend let him sit with the older kids for a hands on science lab and he loved it.  He sat, listened and best of all gave me hope.  There are parents who will look and stare and think and maybe even say what a horrible job I am doing.  Judge him, judge me, judge my family. I am grateful for confidence to know that he was sent to the best family for him.  Grateful for the journey to better understand others.  I truly believe we are all doing our best.  Life is hard at times but it is also great.  Here's to a journey full of lots of prayer and lots of hope that Parker and I will both grow in our journey.  What a beautiful world it would be if we could all have a little more compassion for others, lest judgement and the idea that everyone is different and perhaps everyone is doing their best.  If we were all like my friends who instead of judging and distancing, draw in closer to support, love and help raise my kids.  For that I am so blessed!