Deja Vu, But the Worst Kind

After publishing the recent "see it through their eyes" post, I knew today's post would be about my recent Chicago Cubs game experience. The subject is deja vu, correlating Finn and Pax's first Cubs game with my own when I was their age. It was going to be a joyful, sentimental, and light-hearted piece. However, today's post is about a different kind of deja vu. 

Yesterday, shortly after publishing the blog, I received terrible news. It felt like a bad dream—deja vu, but the worst kind. A group of people stole a car and barrelled into our Northern Vessel storefront.....again. As a refresher, this exact situation played out in August 2023. Four people were struck by the car; one was moderately injured, and three mildly so. It was a horrific scene, but we're glad no lives were lost. We re-opened a few days later, but it took over seven months to fully repair the damage. We've been at full strength for the last two months, and then yesterday happened. 

I won't go into details, as the police are still investigating, but it's not a pretty story. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but the damage was severe. We again face a potentially long road to recovery. 

There is a silver lining, though. There will be another form of deja vu present. Just like last time, we will approach the situation with optimism, gratitude, and perseverance. We will come out of it stronger, more resilient, and as unified as ever. This is a perfect representation of life. It's beautiful, but will surely be met with challenges, pain, and trials. It's not supposed to be easy, and that is what makes it all the more fulfilling. 

We're grateful to serve those we serve, and we won't lose sight of our calling. It's all part of the story, even if it's the worst kind of deja vu. 

Stay safe, stay strong, and keep moving forward.