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I remember like it was yesterday. Phyllis and I had to escape from life. We had just passed the first anniversary of Simon’s death. We took Sally to the beach.

It was so hard to be around people with babies. It was even harder to hear about “problems.” I’m really sorry your contractor didn’t show up. It’s just awful that you had to work all weekend. We couldn’t deal with all of this. Let’s say that we needed some social distancing.

Bitterness and resentment are best friends with tragedy and adversity. This is especially true when life shatters your expectations. I knew how life was supposed to work. I grow up. I start a family. I have kids. I watch them grow up and raise their family. Then I pass on. But, that’s not my life. I was being singled out.

Something happened on the beach that day and it went something like this.

What if that is not the way life is supposed to work. Sure, it happens that way for most people I know, but that is because they are blessed and fortunate. What happens if examine the lives of the 6.6 billion people around the world? Does life really work out that way? Probably not.

Do I really get to expect my son to reach a certain age? What happens if I reset my expectations to zero days? Can I convince myself to be grateful for the 96 days I had?

Last week, someone on the news suggested that social distancing is not in place to prevent me from catching COVID-19. It is preventing me from infecting someone else. I need to assume that I am infected. Hmmm. Perspective.

As we shelter in place, search for a new normal, and face varying levels of adversity, I hope that you and your family can find a healthy perspective to get you through these challenging times. This too shall pass.

–Darren Sudman, CEO, Co-Founder and Simon’s Dad