Hi Everyone,

As I write this, we are at the end of week two of the self imposed confinement and isolation and it already seems like we’ve been in the COVID-19 pandemic for months.  In spite of all of the big changes and challenges we’ve been through the past two weeks we are continuing to serve the members. I hope it is the only month or so but somehow I know it might be longer. 

How is the work from home coming for you?  I know it’s a huge challenge as we all have to now juggle the demands of home and kids and work all at once. I want to address some funny feelings you might be having.  I read a very interesting article this week that said that those feelings might be grief.  Yes, grief.  Because all of us have had so much joy taken out of our lives.  For me I was on spring break vacation a year ago.  And the NCAA basketball tournament was going full bore.  And yesterday should have been opening day of the baseball season.  (Go Nats!)  And soon the Caps should be trying to make another Stanley Cup run.  (Think I’m a sports junkie?)  I’m sure all of you could list out many joys that were taken away from you.  Please recognize that whether you know it or not you are under stress right now and there is grieving taking place as well.  Grieving for the joys that have been taken away.

A year or two ago my sister told me how she deals with times of big stress.  She looks for nanoseconds of happiness.  Because if we look up from the stress we are under we can also see happiness but sometimes we have to look extra hard for it.  Yesterday morning our daughter Irina was up bright and early and announced that she was making blueberry muffins.  And sure enough two and a half hours later yummy blueberry muffins came out of the oven.  And she did them all on her own.  Talk about a nanosecond of happiness!!  I am taking music lessons and trying to learn an Italian opera.  My teacher is fluent in Italian and has been a great help to me but wow, trying to get my Montana mouth around those Italian words is sure a challenge.  But as I conquer word after word, phrase after phrase, I feel little jolts of happiness.  So, some advice for you.  Look for those nanoseconds of happiness and don’t be afraid to reach outside your comfort zone a little to find them. 

In closing please let me know if there is anything you need from the credit union in these most challenging times.  Please know that the the credit union, now more than ever, provides a rock of financial stability for you.  I can’t begin to express my gratitude for your patronage.  Please continue to practice social distancing.  This big sacrifice will help America lick COVID-19.