They’re always watching……

 The day after Christmas 2021, it was supposed to be day 2 of my bachelor week.  

Let me bring you up to speed, ever since I’ve been a wholesaler it’s been impossible for me to go away for winter break because it’s year end for business.  I need to be home to help my agents get business submitted and paid for year end.  A couple of months ago my sister in law and my nephew decided to go to Florida to see my in laws and suggested that Jordan and Lori join them.  Just because I can’t get away they shouldn’t suffer, so it was decided.  For months both Lori and Jordan were looking forward to this trip, a break from the everyday and the cold and the routine.  

In true 2021 fashion Covid decided that she’d make one last stand.  A new variant swept across the world starting a few months ago and caused a little more chaos.  People traveling to see family they haven’t seen in over a year sent travel to pre pandemic levels.  That being said it wasn’t vaccines that were in high demand, but rather tests!! People trying to be responsible were getting tested in record numbers to make sure that they weren’t putting loved ones in harms way.  Lori was one of those responsible ones.  She and Jordan went for a PCR test last Wednesday.

Friday came and their results still weren’t back, so after several calls back and forth and time running out Lori and Jordan went back to the testing center for a rapid test, not as reliable, but a test nonetheless.  As they waited for the results and I sat in the car I got the call, the one no one wants to get.  Jordan’s PCR came back…..POSITIVE!  Moments later the rapid would come back…. NEGATIVE! A head scratcher indeed, but given the current state of affairs the responsible thing was to cancel their trip.

To say they were devastated would be an understatement.  The tears flowed the entire car ride home and rightfully so, Lori’s week of downtime was snatched away, Jordan’s fun in the sun, gone.  

Once we got home Jordan lost it for about 30 minutes, as any 12 year old would.  After a brief conversation with my in laws, Lori decided to reschedule the trip to February break, right after Jordan’s birthday.  Lori then said something to Jordan that she had said to me when Ironman Mont Tremblant got canceled for the second time, “it’s ok to be disappointed”.  Just like that Jordan’s attitude flipped.  He had grieved for his lost vacation and now he had set a countdown clock for the February trip.  Looking forward to us going together as a family, looking forward to our walks from the pool, looking forward to Publix, Kilwin’s and of course Bulk n Bins.

It was in that very moment that I realized he’s been watching the whole time.  Even if he doesn’t tell me he’s proud or that he’s learning his actions spoke volumes.  He was able to be disappointed, but realize it was out of his control and move on to the next thing.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cautious Optimism Waning

Those of you who know me know that I have been nothing but optimistic since my journey started in December of 2012.  Double vision and can’t play golf, no big deal I’ll start running.  May need brain surgery a second time, no big deal, control what I can control.  Actually need second brain surgery, no big deal, set big goal and focus and attack it.  Brain aneurysm, no big deal, start training for a full Ironman. Even when this pandemic began almost 6 weeks ago, I stayed laser focused.  When the country basically shut down through the end of April I knew in the back of my mind that my first 2 races of the season were likely in jeopardy and I was ok with that because they were not my “A” races so when I got the email last week that Connecticut 70.3 was canceled, I was ok with it.  After all, it wasn’t my goal race.  No, my goal race is not until the end of August.  However, that may now be in jeopardy as a Montreal newspaper reported late last week that Quebec would seek to not allow a
Read more

The Hills are alive……

 This week brought the return of something that I’ve missed tremendously…..HILLS!   Those of you that know me know that I hate running and riding on flat areas and paths.  We have an incredible 6 mile path that goes through three or four different towns.  It’s always well maintained regardless of weather and it’s safe from traffic, but it’s FLAT!  I also hate the treadmill or as I call it the dreadmill.  Living in Bergen County there is no shortage of hills, short steep hills, rolling hills, long hills, you name it and we’ve got it. In the past my training regularly included hills and there were three areas that I frequented.  First was Akers, it was a quarter mile steep hill that was great for hill repeats.  Then there was Ridge Rd which is approximately one mile from bottom to top also good for longer repeats and lastly there is The Wegman’s Loop.  I would park my car at Lifetime and run over to Wegman’s.  The half mile run was the perfect warm up for what would lie ahead.  It’s appr
Read more

Right Where I’m Supposed to Be

 Hard to believe that January is behind us.  Less than 200 days until Ironman Mont Tremblant or the first annual Bergen County 140.6.  This first week of February also marked my biggest week of training volume since starting training in November.  The cool thing about these bigger weeks is that they not only push me, but they give me a good indication of how I’m progressing.  Last week was my first real test, it was my FTP, functional threshold test, on the bike.  I went in with no real expectations, after all I hadn’t “tested” in a long time.  I also started working with a group of like minded athletes focusing on mindset, just another layer of accountability.  They made me realize that whatever the number was on the test is right where I’m supposed to be now!  This way of thinking definitely helped and I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  More importantly, the first week of workouts with my new FTP was challenging, but not impossible.  This week also saw my longest swims sin
Read more