On March 17, my team decided that it was too much of a risk to continue residential cleaning services during the Coronavirus pandemic.  Since then, like so many of you, I have been navigating a new course.  The dogs love it – they have a full time concierge service to see to their every need.  I actually think they are glad to see me head out occasionally so they can get some nap time in!

As we all work to adjust, there seems to be one word that repeats often: Hope.  I have been mulling on what hope means for a while now.  For the record, the Merrium-Webster definition of hope reads: “desire accompanied by expectation of a belief in fulfillment.”  I see it a little different – I think hope is that little flame that flickers in our heart and drives us forward, promising that all things are possible if we believe.  I think hope is a human right that every soul deserves to harbor.  That being said, I know it can be easy to lose hope.

Yesterday, I launched off for a walk in the woods with three of my dogs.  I was headed to an old, now-defunct, ornamental tree nursery, located on a neighboring farm.  If you stand just at the rise of the hill in my yard, you can still see the rows of blooming trees almost a mile away.  I wanted to walk those rows of trees on Easter Sunday, so off we went.  I wasn’t thinking anything or really looking for anything, other then to be outside and give Ike a chance to really run … but I did find some things, and here they are …

From our house to yours, in these difficult times, do not fear, and do not lose hope.  I don’t know how or when, but I know that all will be well, because hope lives.