Friends, these past couple of months have been filled with uncertainty and fear as the whole world has been brought to our knees in so many ways by the Corona virus. There is no one who hasn’t been affected in some way, big or small, or a combination.  

Some of you might be looking at this time as just a huge inconvenience and frustration with the closing and halt on normal life as you know it. Some of you might be scared to death or have gotten the virus yourself or someone close to you has been victimized by it. Either way, all of us are feeling the devastation, and do not know when things will be back to normal, or what that normal will look like.  

For me, that new “normal” has shaped up to be something I could never have imagined. Life as I knew it has changed dramatically, some things very frustrating and disappointing, and others more like a silver lining on something that could have been much worse.

All of the swimming and biking events I had been so looking forward to have been canceled. Training with my tri clubs, swimming and cycling with a guide and others in the open air, are just a couple things that I miss very much and have been new normal adjustment for me. While I cannot swim in the bay with my triathlon friends due to social distancing, I have been spending much more time in my own backyard pool swimming the 17 yards back and forth. Since I cannot get out with my triathlon guides to ride my tandem bike because of this virus, my brother who is staying with us now is my in-house tandem captain. 

These are just a couple examples of the new normal in my life, and while I’d love to be in the open water and cycling with my triathlon club, spending quality time with my brother and having the luxury of a pool in my backyard are definitely silver linings and unforeseen blessings.

Encouraging each of you to look for the silver lining in your situation, no matter how big or small. For when you can do that only the best is yet to come.