3: Finding Silver Linings: Turning Chaos into Connection


So, guess what? Covid decided to make a surprise visit this holiday season. Lucky me, right? And as if that wasn’t enough, I passed it on to my daughter. Fun times. Before you worry, we’re both fine—no mortal danger here. But yeah, it’s been a bummer. The endless tiredness, coughing up a lung, no smell, barely any taste—it’s all the worst.

When life doesn’t go our way, it’s so easy to toss the whole situation in the trash. Plans fall apart, nothing’s working how we wanted, and we’re ready to write it all off as a loss. Covid was definitely not my plan. I had to cancel or reschedule seven meetings, push a mile-long to-do list to next week, and generally watch my week crumble.

But here’s the twist: This week wasn’t what I planned, but it gave me something I never intended—three solid days with my daughter. She’s vibrant, funny, creative, and so full of personality that I often miss because life gets in the way. Or because she’s figuring out how to stand out under her big brother’s shadow.

These three days? We laughed over lunches we couldn’t taste, crafted to her heart’s content, played card games, video games, and even hung some lights on a float. She helped me with little office tasks when no one else was around. These were golden moments I could have easily missed if I’d just wallowed in the misery of being sick and behind schedule.

I’m not saying it’s easy—seeing the silver lining in a mess takes effort, and I don’t always nail it. But the most valuable moments, the real legacy-building stuff, often hide in the wreckage of our plans.

So here’s my challenge: when life throws your well-orchestrated plans into chaos this month, try to look up instead of burying your head in frustration. Find the hidden gem in the madness. You won’t get it right every time, and that’s okay. If you do, though, hit me up—I could learn a thing or two!

Celebrate the wins, even the tiny ones. Learn from the times you don’t. Then move on, love your family, and keep being the best dad you can to those little ones who look up to you—even when things don’t go to plan.

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